CANS EXAM SCRIPT 2026 UPDATED 200
QUESTIONS WITH DETAILED ANSWERS
GRADED A+
⩥ 2. A unit manager of a 25-bed medical/surgical area receives a phone
call from a nurse who has called in sick five times in the past month. He
tells the manager that he very much wants to come to work when
scheduled but must often care for his wife, who is undergoing treatment
for breast cancer. According to Maslow's need hierarchy theory, what
would be the best approach to satisfying the needs of this nurse, other
staff, and patients?
a. Line up agency nurses who can be called in to work on short notice.
b. Place the nurse on unpaid leave for the remainder of his wife's
treatment.
c. Sympathize with the nurse's dilemma and let the charge nurse know
that this nurse may be calling in frequently in the future.
d. Work with the nurse, staffing office, and other nurses to arrange his
scheduled
days off around his wife's treatments. Answer: ANS: D
Placing the nurse on unpaid leave may threaten the nurse's capacity to
meet physiologic needs and demotivate the nurse. Unsatisfactory
coverage of shifts on short notice could affect patient care and threaten
the needs of staff to feel competent. Arranging the schedule around the
wife's needs meets the needs of the staff and of patients while satisfying
the nurse's need for affiliation.
,TOP: AONE competency: Communication and Relationship-Building
⩥ 3. A grievance brought by a staff nurse against the unit manager
requires mediation. At the first mediation session, the staff nurse
repeatedly calls the unit manager's actions unfair, and the unit manager
continues to reiterate the reasons for the actions. What would be the best
course of action at this time?
a. Send the two disputants away to reach their own resolution.
b. Involve another staff nurse in the discussion for clarity issues.
c. Ask each party to examine their own motives and issues in the
conflict.
d. Continue to listen as the parties repeat their thoughts and feelings
about the
conflict. Answer: ANS: C
For resolution of conflict, one should address the interests and
involvement of participants in the conflict by examining the real issues
of all parties.
⩥ 4. At a second negotiation session, the unit manager and staff nurse
are unable to reach a resolution. What is the appropriate next step?
a. Arrange another meeting in a week's time so as to allow a cooling-off
period.
b. Elevate the next negation session to the next manager, one level
above.
, c. Insist that participants continue to talk until a resolution has been
reached.
d. Back the unit manager's actions and end the dispute. Answer: ANS: B
Part of leadership is understanding conflict resolution and ability to
negotiate and manage for resolution of issues and concerns. This
situation has failed a second negotiation session, elevation to a manager
with additional training to facilitate conflict resolution is important at
this point.
⩥ 5. The manager of a surgical area has a vision for the future that
requires the addition of RN assistants or unlicensed persons to feed,
bathe, and ambulate patients. The RNs on the staff have always
practiced in a primary nursing-delivery system and are very resistant to
this idea. What would be the best initial strategy for implementation of
this change?
a. Exploring the values and feelings of the RN group in relationship to
this change
b. Leaving the RNs alone for a time so they can think about the change
before it is
implemented
c. Dropping the idea and trying for the change in a year or so when some
of the
present RNs have retired
d. Hiring the assistants and allowing the RNs to see what good additions
they are Answer: ANS: A
QUESTIONS WITH DETAILED ANSWERS
GRADED A+
⩥ 2. A unit manager of a 25-bed medical/surgical area receives a phone
call from a nurse who has called in sick five times in the past month. He
tells the manager that he very much wants to come to work when
scheduled but must often care for his wife, who is undergoing treatment
for breast cancer. According to Maslow's need hierarchy theory, what
would be the best approach to satisfying the needs of this nurse, other
staff, and patients?
a. Line up agency nurses who can be called in to work on short notice.
b. Place the nurse on unpaid leave for the remainder of his wife's
treatment.
c. Sympathize with the nurse's dilemma and let the charge nurse know
that this nurse may be calling in frequently in the future.
d. Work with the nurse, staffing office, and other nurses to arrange his
scheduled
days off around his wife's treatments. Answer: ANS: D
Placing the nurse on unpaid leave may threaten the nurse's capacity to
meet physiologic needs and demotivate the nurse. Unsatisfactory
coverage of shifts on short notice could affect patient care and threaten
the needs of staff to feel competent. Arranging the schedule around the
wife's needs meets the needs of the staff and of patients while satisfying
the nurse's need for affiliation.
,TOP: AONE competency: Communication and Relationship-Building
⩥ 3. A grievance brought by a staff nurse against the unit manager
requires mediation. At the first mediation session, the staff nurse
repeatedly calls the unit manager's actions unfair, and the unit manager
continues to reiterate the reasons for the actions. What would be the best
course of action at this time?
a. Send the two disputants away to reach their own resolution.
b. Involve another staff nurse in the discussion for clarity issues.
c. Ask each party to examine their own motives and issues in the
conflict.
d. Continue to listen as the parties repeat their thoughts and feelings
about the
conflict. Answer: ANS: C
For resolution of conflict, one should address the interests and
involvement of participants in the conflict by examining the real issues
of all parties.
⩥ 4. At a second negotiation session, the unit manager and staff nurse
are unable to reach a resolution. What is the appropriate next step?
a. Arrange another meeting in a week's time so as to allow a cooling-off
period.
b. Elevate the next negation session to the next manager, one level
above.
, c. Insist that participants continue to talk until a resolution has been
reached.
d. Back the unit manager's actions and end the dispute. Answer: ANS: B
Part of leadership is understanding conflict resolution and ability to
negotiate and manage for resolution of issues and concerns. This
situation has failed a second negotiation session, elevation to a manager
with additional training to facilitate conflict resolution is important at
this point.
⩥ 5. The manager of a surgical area has a vision for the future that
requires the addition of RN assistants or unlicensed persons to feed,
bathe, and ambulate patients. The RNs on the staff have always
practiced in a primary nursing-delivery system and are very resistant to
this idea. What would be the best initial strategy for implementation of
this change?
a. Exploring the values and feelings of the RN group in relationship to
this change
b. Leaving the RNs alone for a time so they can think about the change
before it is
implemented
c. Dropping the idea and trying for the change in a year or so when some
of the
present RNs have retired
d. Hiring the assistants and allowing the RNs to see what good additions
they are Answer: ANS: A
