Leadership and Management for Nurses
5th edition Exam Prep – Practice Questions
& Key Concepts
1
,Leadership and Management for Nurses 5th edition Exam Prep –
Practice Questions & Key Concepts
Chapter 1 Conceptual Base for Leadership and Management
1) The nurse manager asked all staff nurses to develop effective leadership competencies. How
should the staff nurses interpret this request?
1. This is an unrealistic expectation, because only managers are leaders.
2. This is possible if the nurses learn about and use relevant leadership and management theories
and styles.
3. In order to become leaders, the staff nurses will have to emphasize control, competition, and
getting the job done.
4. Unless the staff nurses possess the traits of a natural born leader, this is an unrealistic
expectation.
Answer: 2
Explanation:
1. A nurse does not need to have a formal management position with a management title to be a
leader; if nurses demonstrate leadership competencies, they are considered nurse leaders.
2. In today's healthcare environment, nurses must have knowledge of relevant leadership and
management theories and styles. This knowledge helps nurses emerge as leaders. Nurses are also
leaders of their own nursing practices.
3. Control, competition, and getting the job done are past theories and styles that are not as useful
in today's environment.
4. Leadership is a skill that can be learned.
Cognitive Level: Analyzing
Client Need/Sub: Safe and Effective Care Environment
Standards: QSEN Competencies: Patient-centered care; Teamwork and collaboration; quality
improvement, safety | AACN Essential Competencies: II. Basic organizational and systems
leadership for quality care and patient safety; VI. Interprofessional communication and
collaboration for improving patient health outcomes; V. Healthcare policy, finance, and regulatory
environments | NLN Competencies: Personal and professional development; relationship centered
care; teamwork | Nursing/Integrated Concepts: Nursing Process: Assessment
Learning Outcome: LO 03. Analyze the key modern leadership theories compared to older
theories, and understand their implications for nursing leadership, management, and
transformational leadership.
2) Peter Drucker's view of management stimulated the shift toward the realization of the
importance of participatory organizations. Which option provides a scenario that is an example of
a participatory organization?
1. The control of the organization is centralized, and decisions are made by upper-level
management.
2. Staff nurses are expected to provide support and nurturing for management's decisions.
3. The organization's approach to leadership is autocratic and bureaucratic.
4. Staff nurses provide input into planning and changes for their own unit.
Answer: 4
2
,Explanation:
1. In participatory organizations, the control of the organization is decentralized and many
decisions are made by those "on the front lines" of the organization.
2. The theory is that the staff should be nurtured to promote greater leadership competency.
3. According to Drucker, when staff participate in the core functions of management, the
organization is more effective.
4. According to Drucker, when staff participate in the core functions of management such as
planning and changes for their own units, the organization is more effective.
Cognitive Level: Applying
Client Need/Sub: Safe and Effective Care Environment
Standards: QSEN Competencies: Patient-centered care; Teamwork and collaboration; quality
improvement, safety | AACN Essential Competencies: II. Basic organizational and systems
leadership for quality care and patient safety; VI. Interprofessional communication and
collaboration for improving patient health outcomes; V. Healthcare policy, finance, and regulatory
environments | NLN Competencies: Personal and professional development; relationship centered
care; teamwork | Nursing/Integrated Concepts: Nursing Process: Planning
Learning Outcome: LO 03. Analyze the key modern leadership theories compared to older
theories, and understand their implications for nursing leadership, management, and
transformational leadership.
3) Which behavior demonstrates the nurse's competency as an emotionally intelligent leader?
1. The nurse is proficient in technical skills.
2. The nurse relies on policies, not options.
3. The nurse supports team members.
4. Productivity is not a major concern.
Answer: 3
Explanation:
1. While technical skill is important for all nurses, it is not a hallmark of a competent leader.
2. Chaos theory states that solutions are not always clear and policies might not always be applied
easily; other options might need to be considered.
3. In Emotional Intelligence theory, team members support each other and feel supported by the
team leader.
4. This statement reflects the country club leadership style.
Cognitive Level: Applying
Client Need/Sub: Safe and Effective Care Environment
Standards: QSEN Competencies: Patient-centered care; Teamwork and collaboration; quality
improvement, safety | AACN Essential Competencies: II. Basic organizational and systems
leadership for quality care and patient safety; VI. Interprofessional communication and
collaboration for improving patient health outcomes; V. Healthcare policy, finance, and regulatory
environments | NLN Competencies: Personal and professional development; relationship centered
care; teamwork | Nursing/Integrated Concepts: Nursing Process: Implementation
Learning Outcome: LO 03. Analyze the key modern leadership theories compared to older
theories, and understand their implications for nursing leadership, management, and
transformational leadership.
3
, 4) The nurse executive of a healthcare organization wishes to prepare and develop nurse managers
for several new units that the organization will open next year. What should be the primary goal for
this work?
1. Focus on rewarding current staff for doing a good job with their assigned tasks by selecting them
for promotion.
2. Prepare these managers so that they will focus on maintaining standards of care.
3. Prepare these managers to oversee the entire healthcare organization.
4. Prepare these managers to interact with hospital administration.
Answer: 2
Explanation:
1. This is an illustration of the "Peter Principle," which is promoting people to management
positions just because they are doing a good job in their current position. Management level
employees should be selected based upon the potential ability to manage and their desire to do so.
2. Nurse managers are directly responsible for maintaining standards of care, and managing fiscal
resources and development of staff.
3. This is not the responsibility of most nurse managers. In this question, it is clear that managers
of nursing units are being prepared and developed.
4. Interacting with hospital administration is a rare requirement for a unit nurse manager and, if it
is required, it is not as important as maintaining standards of care.
Cognitive Level: Analyzing
Client Need/Sub: Safe and Effective Care Environment
Standards: QSEN Competencies: Patient-centered care; Teamwork and collaboration; quality
improvement, safety | AACN Essential Competencies: II. Basic organizational and systems
leadership for quality care and patient safety; VI. Interprofessional communication and
collaboration for improving patient health outcomes; V. Healthcare policy, finance, and regulatory
environments | NLN Competencies: Personal and professional development; relationship centered
care; teamwork | Nursing/Integrated Concepts: Nursing Process: Planning
Learning Outcome: LO 04. Compare and contrast characteristics, roles, and responsibilities of
leaders and managers.
5) Describe the primary focus of a manager in a knowledge-work environment.
1. Developing the most effective teams
2. Taking risks
3. Routine work
4. Understanding the history of the organization
Answer: 1
Explanation:
1. The most important focus of this manager is on developing and supporting effective teams,
utilizing the knowledge of many.
2. Risk taking is a part of knowledge work, but is not the most important of this manager's tasks.
3. Knowledge work is a combination of routine and nonroutine work, so the manager will have
focus on the routine. This is not the manager's most important focus.
4. Understanding the history of the organization is important as it will help the manager work
within the organization, but it is not the most important focus.
Cognitive Level: Analyzing
Client Need/Sub: Safe and Effective Care Environment
Standards: QSEN Competencies: Patient-centered care; Teamwork and collaboration; quality
improvement, safety | AACN Essential Competencies: II. Basic organizational and systems
4
5th edition Exam Prep – Practice Questions
& Key Concepts
1
,Leadership and Management for Nurses 5th edition Exam Prep –
Practice Questions & Key Concepts
Chapter 1 Conceptual Base for Leadership and Management
1) The nurse manager asked all staff nurses to develop effective leadership competencies. How
should the staff nurses interpret this request?
1. This is an unrealistic expectation, because only managers are leaders.
2. This is possible if the nurses learn about and use relevant leadership and management theories
and styles.
3. In order to become leaders, the staff nurses will have to emphasize control, competition, and
getting the job done.
4. Unless the staff nurses possess the traits of a natural born leader, this is an unrealistic
expectation.
Answer: 2
Explanation:
1. A nurse does not need to have a formal management position with a management title to be a
leader; if nurses demonstrate leadership competencies, they are considered nurse leaders.
2. In today's healthcare environment, nurses must have knowledge of relevant leadership and
management theories and styles. This knowledge helps nurses emerge as leaders. Nurses are also
leaders of their own nursing practices.
3. Control, competition, and getting the job done are past theories and styles that are not as useful
in today's environment.
4. Leadership is a skill that can be learned.
Cognitive Level: Analyzing
Client Need/Sub: Safe and Effective Care Environment
Standards: QSEN Competencies: Patient-centered care; Teamwork and collaboration; quality
improvement, safety | AACN Essential Competencies: II. Basic organizational and systems
leadership for quality care and patient safety; VI. Interprofessional communication and
collaboration for improving patient health outcomes; V. Healthcare policy, finance, and regulatory
environments | NLN Competencies: Personal and professional development; relationship centered
care; teamwork | Nursing/Integrated Concepts: Nursing Process: Assessment
Learning Outcome: LO 03. Analyze the key modern leadership theories compared to older
theories, and understand their implications for nursing leadership, management, and
transformational leadership.
2) Peter Drucker's view of management stimulated the shift toward the realization of the
importance of participatory organizations. Which option provides a scenario that is an example of
a participatory organization?
1. The control of the organization is centralized, and decisions are made by upper-level
management.
2. Staff nurses are expected to provide support and nurturing for management's decisions.
3. The organization's approach to leadership is autocratic and bureaucratic.
4. Staff nurses provide input into planning and changes for their own unit.
Answer: 4
2
,Explanation:
1. In participatory organizations, the control of the organization is decentralized and many
decisions are made by those "on the front lines" of the organization.
2. The theory is that the staff should be nurtured to promote greater leadership competency.
3. According to Drucker, when staff participate in the core functions of management, the
organization is more effective.
4. According to Drucker, when staff participate in the core functions of management such as
planning and changes for their own units, the organization is more effective.
Cognitive Level: Applying
Client Need/Sub: Safe and Effective Care Environment
Standards: QSEN Competencies: Patient-centered care; Teamwork and collaboration; quality
improvement, safety | AACN Essential Competencies: II. Basic organizational and systems
leadership for quality care and patient safety; VI. Interprofessional communication and
collaboration for improving patient health outcomes; V. Healthcare policy, finance, and regulatory
environments | NLN Competencies: Personal and professional development; relationship centered
care; teamwork | Nursing/Integrated Concepts: Nursing Process: Planning
Learning Outcome: LO 03. Analyze the key modern leadership theories compared to older
theories, and understand their implications for nursing leadership, management, and
transformational leadership.
3) Which behavior demonstrates the nurse's competency as an emotionally intelligent leader?
1. The nurse is proficient in technical skills.
2. The nurse relies on policies, not options.
3. The nurse supports team members.
4. Productivity is not a major concern.
Answer: 3
Explanation:
1. While technical skill is important for all nurses, it is not a hallmark of a competent leader.
2. Chaos theory states that solutions are not always clear and policies might not always be applied
easily; other options might need to be considered.
3. In Emotional Intelligence theory, team members support each other and feel supported by the
team leader.
4. This statement reflects the country club leadership style.
Cognitive Level: Applying
Client Need/Sub: Safe and Effective Care Environment
Standards: QSEN Competencies: Patient-centered care; Teamwork and collaboration; quality
improvement, safety | AACN Essential Competencies: II. Basic organizational and systems
leadership for quality care and patient safety; VI. Interprofessional communication and
collaboration for improving patient health outcomes; V. Healthcare policy, finance, and regulatory
environments | NLN Competencies: Personal and professional development; relationship centered
care; teamwork | Nursing/Integrated Concepts: Nursing Process: Implementation
Learning Outcome: LO 03. Analyze the key modern leadership theories compared to older
theories, and understand their implications for nursing leadership, management, and
transformational leadership.
3
, 4) The nurse executive of a healthcare organization wishes to prepare and develop nurse managers
for several new units that the organization will open next year. What should be the primary goal for
this work?
1. Focus on rewarding current staff for doing a good job with their assigned tasks by selecting them
for promotion.
2. Prepare these managers so that they will focus on maintaining standards of care.
3. Prepare these managers to oversee the entire healthcare organization.
4. Prepare these managers to interact with hospital administration.
Answer: 2
Explanation:
1. This is an illustration of the "Peter Principle," which is promoting people to management
positions just because they are doing a good job in their current position. Management level
employees should be selected based upon the potential ability to manage and their desire to do so.
2. Nurse managers are directly responsible for maintaining standards of care, and managing fiscal
resources and development of staff.
3. This is not the responsibility of most nurse managers. In this question, it is clear that managers
of nursing units are being prepared and developed.
4. Interacting with hospital administration is a rare requirement for a unit nurse manager and, if it
is required, it is not as important as maintaining standards of care.
Cognitive Level: Analyzing
Client Need/Sub: Safe and Effective Care Environment
Standards: QSEN Competencies: Patient-centered care; Teamwork and collaboration; quality
improvement, safety | AACN Essential Competencies: II. Basic organizational and systems
leadership for quality care and patient safety; VI. Interprofessional communication and
collaboration for improving patient health outcomes; V. Healthcare policy, finance, and regulatory
environments | NLN Competencies: Personal and professional development; relationship centered
care; teamwork | Nursing/Integrated Concepts: Nursing Process: Planning
Learning Outcome: LO 04. Compare and contrast characteristics, roles, and responsibilities of
leaders and managers.
5) Describe the primary focus of a manager in a knowledge-work environment.
1. Developing the most effective teams
2. Taking risks
3. Routine work
4. Understanding the history of the organization
Answer: 1
Explanation:
1. The most important focus of this manager is on developing and supporting effective teams,
utilizing the knowledge of many.
2. Risk taking is a part of knowledge work, but is not the most important of this manager's tasks.
3. Knowledge work is a combination of routine and nonroutine work, so the manager will have
focus on the routine. This is not the manager's most important focus.
4. Understanding the history of the organization is important as it will help the manager work
within the organization, but it is not the most important focus.
Cognitive Level: Analyzing
Client Need/Sub: Safe and Effective Care Environment
Standards: QSEN Competencies: Patient-centered care; Teamwork and collaboration; quality
improvement, safety | AACN Essential Competencies: II. Basic organizational and systems
4
