C HAPTER 07: O RGANIZATIONAL P LANNING
1. A manager has been experiencing challenges during a planning process
and must implement strategies to overcome barriers that impede planning.
What is the mana ger’s best action?
a. Reevaluate whether the goals and objectives are appropriate and
achievable.
b. Establish a fixed goal that is unaffected by changes in the
organization.
c. Limit membership in the planning team to administrators, leaders,
and executives.
d. Make the goals of the plan more general so that they can be more
easil y achieved.
ANS: A
Feedback:
The organization can be more effective if movement within it is
directed at specified goals and objectives. Because a plan is a guide to
reach a goal, it mus t be flexible and allow for readjustment as
unexpected events occur. Reevaluation is often necessary to ensure this
happens. The manager should include in the planning process all
people and units that could be affected by a plan, not just
administrators and executives. A plan that is too global or unrealistic
discourages rather than motivates employees because attainment of the
goals can never be clearl y determined.
, PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult REF: Page: 185 OBJ: 5
NAT: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care En vironment:
Management of Care TOP: Chapter Number: 07: Title:
Overcoming Barriers to Planning KEY: Integrated Process:
Nursing Process BLM: Cognitive Level: Appl y NOT: Multiple
Choice
2. A nurse-manager is creating an organizational plan. What characteris tic of
the plan is more likely to promote success?
a. A midterm evaluation of the planning process
b. Several predefined evaluation checkpoints
c. The rejection of any earlier plans that did not succeed
d. Over planning to accommodate predicted lapses in the planning
process
ANS: B
Feedback:
Good plans have several built -in evaluation checkpoints so that there
can be a midcourse correction if unexpected events occur. A single
midterm evaluation is likel y insufficient. If goals were not met, the
plan should be exam ined to determine why it failed. However, this does
not necessaril y mean that similar plans cannot be reattempted. Over
planning can result in an excessive and inefficient commitment to
minor details.
PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate REF: Page: 186 OBJ: 5 | 6
NAT: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment:
Management of Care TOP: Chapter Number: 07: Title:
, Overcoming Barriers to Planning KEY: Integrated Process:
Nursing Process BLM: Cognitive Level: Understand NOT:
Multiple Choice
3. At the unit level, what time frame may be considered long -range
planning?
a. 3 months
b. 6 months
c. 12 months
d. 18 months
ANS: B, C, D
Feedback:
At the unit level, any planning that is at least 6 months in the future
may be considered long-range planning.
PTS: 1 DIF: Easy REF: Page: 172 OBJ: 4 NAT:
Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Management
of Care TOP: Chapter Number: 07: Title: Strategic Planning
at the Organizational Level KEY: Integrated Process: Nursing
Process BLM: Cognitive Level: Remember NOT: Multipl e
Selection
4. The nurse-manager is on a team that is performing a SWOT anal ysis of the
staffing system at a communit y clinic. What should the manager do when
addressing the “S” component of the SWOT anal ysis?
a. Identify stakeholders in the current staffing sy stem.
1. A manager has been experiencing challenges during a planning process
and must implement strategies to overcome barriers that impede planning.
What is the mana ger’s best action?
a. Reevaluate whether the goals and objectives are appropriate and
achievable.
b. Establish a fixed goal that is unaffected by changes in the
organization.
c. Limit membership in the planning team to administrators, leaders,
and executives.
d. Make the goals of the plan more general so that they can be more
easil y achieved.
ANS: A
Feedback:
The organization can be more effective if movement within it is
directed at specified goals and objectives. Because a plan is a guide to
reach a goal, it mus t be flexible and allow for readjustment as
unexpected events occur. Reevaluation is often necessary to ensure this
happens. The manager should include in the planning process all
people and units that could be affected by a plan, not just
administrators and executives. A plan that is too global or unrealistic
discourages rather than motivates employees because attainment of the
goals can never be clearl y determined.
, PTS: 1 DIF: Difficult REF: Page: 185 OBJ: 5
NAT: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care En vironment:
Management of Care TOP: Chapter Number: 07: Title:
Overcoming Barriers to Planning KEY: Integrated Process:
Nursing Process BLM: Cognitive Level: Appl y NOT: Multiple
Choice
2. A nurse-manager is creating an organizational plan. What characteris tic of
the plan is more likely to promote success?
a. A midterm evaluation of the planning process
b. Several predefined evaluation checkpoints
c. The rejection of any earlier plans that did not succeed
d. Over planning to accommodate predicted lapses in the planning
process
ANS: B
Feedback:
Good plans have several built -in evaluation checkpoints so that there
can be a midcourse correction if unexpected events occur. A single
midterm evaluation is likel y insufficient. If goals were not met, the
plan should be exam ined to determine why it failed. However, this does
not necessaril y mean that similar plans cannot be reattempted. Over
planning can result in an excessive and inefficient commitment to
minor details.
PTS: 1 DIF: Moderate REF: Page: 186 OBJ: 5 | 6
NAT: Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment:
Management of Care TOP: Chapter Number: 07: Title:
, Overcoming Barriers to Planning KEY: Integrated Process:
Nursing Process BLM: Cognitive Level: Understand NOT:
Multiple Choice
3. At the unit level, what time frame may be considered long -range
planning?
a. 3 months
b. 6 months
c. 12 months
d. 18 months
ANS: B, C, D
Feedback:
At the unit level, any planning that is at least 6 months in the future
may be considered long-range planning.
PTS: 1 DIF: Easy REF: Page: 172 OBJ: 4 NAT:
Client Needs: Safe and Effective Care Environment: Management
of Care TOP: Chapter Number: 07: Title: Strategic Planning
at the Organizational Level KEY: Integrated Process: Nursing
Process BLM: Cognitive Level: Remember NOT: Multipl e
Selection
4. The nurse-manager is on a team that is performing a SWOT anal ysis of the
staffing system at a communit y clinic. What should the manager do when
addressing the “S” component of the SWOT anal ysis?
a. Identify stakeholders in the current staffing sy stem.
