Leadership Yoder-Wise Final UPDATED
Exam Questions and CORRECT Answers
A nurse manager of a 20-bed medical unit finds that 80% of the patients are older adults. She is
asked to assess and adapt the unit to better meet the unique needs of older adult patients.
According to complexity principles, what would be the best approach to take in making this
change?
a. Leverage the hierarchical management position to get unit staff involved in assessment and
planning.
b. Engage involved staff at all levels in the decision-making process.
c. Focus the assessment on the unit, and omit the hospital and community environment.
d. Hire a geriatric specialist to oversee and control the project. - CORRECT ANSWER-B
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. In the practice of a strengths-based nursing leader, 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. - CORRECT ANSWER-D
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 so as to clarify issues.
c. Ask each party to examine her own motives and issues in the conflict.
,d. Continue to listen as the parties repeat their thoughts and feelings about the conflict. -
CORRECT ANSWER-C
Shortly after being informed of fetal death, a labouring woman asks why she is not able to hear
her baby's heartbeat on the monitor anymore. Although the monitor volume had been turned off
so that the patient would be able to sleep between contractions, the nurse responded that there
was no heartbeat to hear because the baby had died in utero; then the nurse asked whether the
patient would like to talk about how she was feeling. This response demonstrates:
a. Lack of empathy.
b. Ethical leadership.
c. Complexity science.
d. A coercive relationship. - CORRECT ANSWER-B
The manager of a surgical area envisions a future that requires the addition of registered nurse
(RN) assistants or unlicensed persons to feed, bathe, and walk patients. The RNs on the staff
have always practiced in a primary nursing-delivery system and are very resistant to this idea.
The best initial strategy in this situation would include:
a. Exploring the values of the RNs in relation to this change.
b. Leaving the RNs alone for a time so they can think about the change before they are
approached again.
c. Dropping the idea and trying for the change in another year or so.
d. Hiring the assistants and allowing the RNs to see what good additions they are. - CORRECT
ANSWER-A
As the charge nurse on the night shift in a small long-term care facility, you have found that
there is little turnover among your licensed practical nurse and nursing assistant (NA) staff
members, but they are not very motivated to work beyond their job descriptions. Which of the
following strategies might motivate the staff and lead to greater job satisfaction?
a. Ask the director of nursing to offer higher wages and bonuses for extra work for the night
licensed practical nurses and NAs.
b. Allow the licensed practical nurses and NAs greater decision-making power within the scope
of their positions in the institution.
c. Help the licensed practical nurses and NAs with their work, whenever possible.
,d. Ask the director of nursing to increase job security for night staff by having them sign
contracts that guarantee work. - CORRECT ANSWER-B
As the nurse manager, you want to increase motivation by providing motivating factors. Which
action would you select?
a. Collaborate with the human resources/personnel department to develop on-site daycare
services.
b. Provide a hierarchical organizational structure.
c. Implement a model of shared governance.
d. Promote the development of a flexible benefits package. - CORRECT ANSWER-C
A charge nurse on a busy 40-bed medical/surgical unit is approached by a patient's son, who
begins to complain loudly about the quality of care his mother is receiving. His behaviour is so
disruptive that it is overheard by staff, physicians, and other visitors. The family member rejects
any attempt to intervene therapeutically to resolve the issue. He leaves the unit abruptly, and the
nurse is left feeling frustrated. Which behaviour by the charge nurse best illustrates refined
leadership skills in an emotionally intelligent practitioner?
a. Reflection to obtain insight into how the situation could be handled differently in the future
b. Trying to catch up with the angry family member to resolve the concern
c. Discussing the concern with the patient after the family member has left
d. Notifying nursing administration of the situation - CORRECT ANSWER-A
The chief nursing officer has asked the staff development coordinator to facilitate the
development of a clinical competency program for the facility. While making rounds on the
units, the staff development coordinator overhears RN staff complaining that they believe it is
insulting to be required to participate in a competency program. Which behaviour by the staff
development coordinator is most appropriate in this situation?
a. Disregard staff concerns and continue with development of the program.
b. Inform the nurses that this program is a requirement for accreditation by the Joint Commission
on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).
c. Schedule a meeting with the chief nurse executive to apprise her of the situation.
d. Facilitate a meeting so nurses can articulate their values and concerns about a competency
program. - CORRECT ANSWER-D
, Which category is unique to leadership but is not part of management?
a. Initiating change
b. Personal qualities
c. Developing people
d. Information management - CORRECT ANSWER-C
You overhear a newly graduated RN telling one of your colleagues that leadership and
management belong to the unit manager and not to her. Because you are a nursing colleague,
your response demonstrates understanding that the perception of the new graduate:
a. Is accurately reflected in the new graduate's statement.
b. Would benefit from further understanding of her role as a professional in relation to decision-
making.
c. Has been influenced by nurse leaders and managers who leave for other positions.
d. Is related to the general perception that nurse leaders and managers are not satisfied in their
jobs. - CORRECT ANSWER-B
You walk into a patient's room and find him yelling at the licensed practical nurse. The patient is
obviously very upset, and after you speak with him regarding his behaviour, you determine that
he has not slept for three nights because of unrelieved pain levels. The licensedpractical nurse is
very upset with him and calls him an "ugly, old man." You acknowledge her feelings and
concerns and then suggest that the patient's behaviour was aggressive but is related to lack of
sleep and to pain. You ask, "Can both you and the patient together determine triggers for the pain
and effective approaches to controlling his pain?" This approach demonstrates:
a. Lack of empathy and understanding for the licensed practical nurse.
b. Concern with placating the patient.
c. Leadership behaviour.
d. Management behaviour. - CORRECT ANSWER-C
Which category is unique to management but is not part of leadership?
a. Initiating change
b. Personal qualities
Exam Questions and CORRECT Answers
A nurse manager of a 20-bed medical unit finds that 80% of the patients are older adults. She is
asked to assess and adapt the unit to better meet the unique needs of older adult patients.
According to complexity principles, what would be the best approach to take in making this
change?
a. Leverage the hierarchical management position to get unit staff involved in assessment and
planning.
b. Engage involved staff at all levels in the decision-making process.
c. Focus the assessment on the unit, and omit the hospital and community environment.
d. Hire a geriatric specialist to oversee and control the project. - CORRECT ANSWER-B
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. In the practice of a strengths-based nursing leader, 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. - CORRECT ANSWER-D
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 so as to clarify issues.
c. Ask each party to examine her own motives and issues in the conflict.
,d. Continue to listen as the parties repeat their thoughts and feelings about the conflict. -
CORRECT ANSWER-C
Shortly after being informed of fetal death, a labouring woman asks why she is not able to hear
her baby's heartbeat on the monitor anymore. Although the monitor volume had been turned off
so that the patient would be able to sleep between contractions, the nurse responded that there
was no heartbeat to hear because the baby had died in utero; then the nurse asked whether the
patient would like to talk about how she was feeling. This response demonstrates:
a. Lack of empathy.
b. Ethical leadership.
c. Complexity science.
d. A coercive relationship. - CORRECT ANSWER-B
The manager of a surgical area envisions a future that requires the addition of registered nurse
(RN) assistants or unlicensed persons to feed, bathe, and walk patients. The RNs on the staff
have always practiced in a primary nursing-delivery system and are very resistant to this idea.
The best initial strategy in this situation would include:
a. Exploring the values of the RNs in relation to this change.
b. Leaving the RNs alone for a time so they can think about the change before they are
approached again.
c. Dropping the idea and trying for the change in another year or so.
d. Hiring the assistants and allowing the RNs to see what good additions they are. - CORRECT
ANSWER-A
As the charge nurse on the night shift in a small long-term care facility, you have found that
there is little turnover among your licensed practical nurse and nursing assistant (NA) staff
members, but they are not very motivated to work beyond their job descriptions. Which of the
following strategies might motivate the staff and lead to greater job satisfaction?
a. Ask the director of nursing to offer higher wages and bonuses for extra work for the night
licensed practical nurses and NAs.
b. Allow the licensed practical nurses and NAs greater decision-making power within the scope
of their positions in the institution.
c. Help the licensed practical nurses and NAs with their work, whenever possible.
,d. Ask the director of nursing to increase job security for night staff by having them sign
contracts that guarantee work. - CORRECT ANSWER-B
As the nurse manager, you want to increase motivation by providing motivating factors. Which
action would you select?
a. Collaborate with the human resources/personnel department to develop on-site daycare
services.
b. Provide a hierarchical organizational structure.
c. Implement a model of shared governance.
d. Promote the development of a flexible benefits package. - CORRECT ANSWER-C
A charge nurse on a busy 40-bed medical/surgical unit is approached by a patient's son, who
begins to complain loudly about the quality of care his mother is receiving. His behaviour is so
disruptive that it is overheard by staff, physicians, and other visitors. The family member rejects
any attempt to intervene therapeutically to resolve the issue. He leaves the unit abruptly, and the
nurse is left feeling frustrated. Which behaviour by the charge nurse best illustrates refined
leadership skills in an emotionally intelligent practitioner?
a. Reflection to obtain insight into how the situation could be handled differently in the future
b. Trying to catch up with the angry family member to resolve the concern
c. Discussing the concern with the patient after the family member has left
d. Notifying nursing administration of the situation - CORRECT ANSWER-A
The chief nursing officer has asked the staff development coordinator to facilitate the
development of a clinical competency program for the facility. While making rounds on the
units, the staff development coordinator overhears RN staff complaining that they believe it is
insulting to be required to participate in a competency program. Which behaviour by the staff
development coordinator is most appropriate in this situation?
a. Disregard staff concerns and continue with development of the program.
b. Inform the nurses that this program is a requirement for accreditation by the Joint Commission
on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO).
c. Schedule a meeting with the chief nurse executive to apprise her of the situation.
d. Facilitate a meeting so nurses can articulate their values and concerns about a competency
program. - CORRECT ANSWER-D
, Which category is unique to leadership but is not part of management?
a. Initiating change
b. Personal qualities
c. Developing people
d. Information management - CORRECT ANSWER-C
You overhear a newly graduated RN telling one of your colleagues that leadership and
management belong to the unit manager and not to her. Because you are a nursing colleague,
your response demonstrates understanding that the perception of the new graduate:
a. Is accurately reflected in the new graduate's statement.
b. Would benefit from further understanding of her role as a professional in relation to decision-
making.
c. Has been influenced by nurse leaders and managers who leave for other positions.
d. Is related to the general perception that nurse leaders and managers are not satisfied in their
jobs. - CORRECT ANSWER-B
You walk into a patient's room and find him yelling at the licensed practical nurse. The patient is
obviously very upset, and after you speak with him regarding his behaviour, you determine that
he has not slept for three nights because of unrelieved pain levels. The licensedpractical nurse is
very upset with him and calls him an "ugly, old man." You acknowledge her feelings and
concerns and then suggest that the patient's behaviour was aggressive but is related to lack of
sleep and to pain. You ask, "Can both you and the patient together determine triggers for the pain
and effective approaches to controlling his pain?" This approach demonstrates:
a. Lack of empathy and understanding for the licensed practical nurse.
b. Concern with placating the patient.
c. Leadership behaviour.
d. Management behaviour. - CORRECT ANSWER-C
Which category is unique to management but is not part of leadership?
a. Initiating change
b. Personal qualities
