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TEST BANK
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Leadership Roles and Management Functions in
Nursing (11th Edition)
Marquis & Huston – Test Bank
Chapter 1: Decision Making, Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, and Clinical Reasoning
1. What statement is true regarding decision making?
A) It is an analysis of a situation
B) It is closely related to evaluation
C) It involves choosing between courses of action
D) It is dependent upon finding the cause of a problem
Answers: C
Rationale:
Decision making is a complex cognitive process often defined as choosing a particular course of action.
Problem solving is part of decision making and is a systematic process that focuses on analyzing a difficult
situation. Critical thinking, sometimes referred to as reflective thinking, is related to evaluation and has a
broader scope than decision making and problem solving.
2. What is a weakness of the traditional problem-solving model?
A) Its need for implementation time
B) Its lack of a step requiring evaluation of results
C) Its failure to gather sufficient data
D) Its failure to evaluate alternatives
Answers: A
Rationale:
The traditional problem-solving model is less effective when time constraints are a consideration. Decision
making can occur without the full analysis required in problem solving. Because problem solving attempts
to identify the root problem, much time and energy are spent determining the actual issue.
3. Which of the following statements is true regarding decision making?
A) Scientific methods provide identical decisions by different individuals for the same problems
B) Decisions are greatly influenced by each person's value system
C) Personal beliefs can be adjusted when using the scientific approach
D) Past experience has little to do with decision quality
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Answers: B
Rationale:
Values, life experience, individual preferences, and ways of thinking influence decision making. Even when
objective criteria are used, value judgments still play a role, consciously or subconsciously.
4. What most influences the quality of a decision?
A) The decision maker’s immediate superior
B) The type of decision required
C) The questions asked and alternatives generated
D) The time of day
Answers: C
Rationale:
The greater the number of alternatives generated, the better the final decision. However, alternatives are
limited by the decision maker’s value system and perspective.
5. What does knowledge about good decision making suggest?
A) Good decision makers are intuitive right-brain thinkers
B) Effective decision makers are sensitive to situations and others
C) Good decisions are made by logical thinkers only
D) Decision making is purely analytical
Answers: B
Rationale:
Effective decision makers are highly perceptive and sensitive to both people and situations. They do not
rely solely on logic or intuition.
6. What is the best definition of decision making?
A) The planning process of management
B) The evaluation phase of the executive role
C) One step in the problem-solving process
D) Required to justify scarce resources
Answers: C
Rationale:
Decision making is a complex cognitive process involving selecting a course of action. It is one step within
problem solving and depends heavily on critical thinking and clinical reasoning.
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7. If decision making is triggered by a problem, it ends with:
A) An alternative problem
B) A chosen course of action
C) An action that guarantees success
D) A restatement of the solution
Answers: B
Rationale:
A decision is made when a course of action has been selected. Problem solving always includes a decision-
making step.
8. Why do values often cause conflict in decision making?
A) Some values are unrealistic
B) Values are not equally important
C) Values remain unchanged
D) Values may conflict with each other
Answers: D
Rationale:
Values, preferences, and experiences influence decisions, and conflicts arise when values oppose one
another.
9. Which statement is true concerning critical thinking?
A) It is simple
B) It is narrower than decision making
C) It requires reasoning and creative analysis
D) It is synonymous with problem solving
Answers: C
Rationale:
Critical thinking has a broader scope than decision making and involves analyzing evidence, reasoning, and
forming judgments.
10. How do managers typically make decisions?
TEST BANK
, Page 2
Leadership Roles and Management Functions in
Nursing (11th Edition)
Marquis & Huston – Test Bank
Chapter 1: Decision Making, Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, and Clinical Reasoning
1. What statement is true regarding decision making?
A) It is an analysis of a situation
B) It is closely related to evaluation
C) It involves choosing between courses of action
D) It is dependent upon finding the cause of a problem
Answers: C
Rationale:
Decision making is a complex cognitive process often defined as choosing a particular course of action.
Problem solving is part of decision making and is a systematic process that focuses on analyzing a difficult
situation. Critical thinking, sometimes referred to as reflective thinking, is related to evaluation and has a
broader scope than decision making and problem solving.
2. What is a weakness of the traditional problem-solving model?
A) Its need for implementation time
B) Its lack of a step requiring evaluation of results
C) Its failure to gather sufficient data
D) Its failure to evaluate alternatives
Answers: A
Rationale:
The traditional problem-solving model is less effective when time constraints are a consideration. Decision
making can occur without the full analysis required in problem solving. Because problem solving attempts
to identify the root problem, much time and energy are spent determining the actual issue.
3. Which of the following statements is true regarding decision making?
A) Scientific methods provide identical decisions by different individuals for the same problems
B) Decisions are greatly influenced by each person's value system
C) Personal beliefs can be adjusted when using the scientific approach
D) Past experience has little to do with decision quality
, Page 3
Answers: B
Rationale:
Values, life experience, individual preferences, and ways of thinking influence decision making. Even when
objective criteria are used, value judgments still play a role, consciously or subconsciously.
4. What most influences the quality of a decision?
A) The decision maker’s immediate superior
B) The type of decision required
C) The questions asked and alternatives generated
D) The time of day
Answers: C
Rationale:
The greater the number of alternatives generated, the better the final decision. However, alternatives are
limited by the decision maker’s value system and perspective.
5. What does knowledge about good decision making suggest?
A) Good decision makers are intuitive right-brain thinkers
B) Effective decision makers are sensitive to situations and others
C) Good decisions are made by logical thinkers only
D) Decision making is purely analytical
Answers: B
Rationale:
Effective decision makers are highly perceptive and sensitive to both people and situations. They do not
rely solely on logic or intuition.
6. What is the best definition of decision making?
A) The planning process of management
B) The evaluation phase of the executive role
C) One step in the problem-solving process
D) Required to justify scarce resources
Answers: C
Rationale:
Decision making is a complex cognitive process involving selecting a course of action. It is one step within
problem solving and depends heavily on critical thinking and clinical reasoning.
, Page 4
7. If decision making is triggered by a problem, it ends with:
A) An alternative problem
B) A chosen course of action
C) An action that guarantees success
D) A restatement of the solution
Answers: B
Rationale:
A decision is made when a course of action has been selected. Problem solving always includes a decision-
making step.
8. Why do values often cause conflict in decision making?
A) Some values are unrealistic
B) Values are not equally important
C) Values remain unchanged
D) Values may conflict with each other
Answers: D
Rationale:
Values, preferences, and experiences influence decisions, and conflicts arise when values oppose one
another.
9. Which statement is true concerning critical thinking?
A) It is simple
B) It is narrower than decision making
C) It requires reasoning and creative analysis
D) It is synonymous with problem solving
Answers: C
Rationale:
Critical thinking has a broader scope than decision making and involves analyzing evidence, reasoning, and
forming judgments.
10. How do managers typically make decisions?
