Question 1
Which group established a standard of professional performance focused on the nurse's collaboration
with clients, families, and other healthcare professionals?
1. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing
2. The National League for Nursing
3. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing
4. The American Nurses Association - Answers Correct Answer: 4
Rationale: The ANA Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice includes collaboration by the registered
nurse with clients and families as well as other healthcare providers. The National League for Nursing
and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing accredit schools of nursing. The National Council of
State Boards of Nursing manages the administration of licensure examinations.
Question 2
Which option represents the highest level of collaboration?
1. The nurse, physician, and dietician have communicated individually with the client.
2. The nurse, physician, and dietician have all written an individual plan of care and included it in the
client's medical record.
3. The nurse and physician have discussed the nutritional needs of the client and have referred the
patient to the dietician for a nutritional plan and teaching.
4. The physician wrote a medical order for the nurse to contact dietary for a consult. - Answers Correct
Answer: 3
Rationale: The highest level of collaboration is co-management and referral, whereby providers retain
responsibility and accountability for their own aspects of care, and clients are directed to other
providers when the problem is beyond the current caregiver's expertise. In this scenario, the option
about the nurse and physician discussing the client's nutritional needs and referring nutritional care to
the dietician reflects that level of collaboration. Communicating independently with the client, having
separate plans of care, and the unilateral decision making (medical order) options reflect parallel
communication and function, which are lower levels of collaboration.
Question 3
Which option characterizes effective collaboration?
1. Outcomes are positive for each healthcare provider.
,2. Common purpose and goals are identified at the outset.
3. There is interdisciplinary goal setting for the patient.
4. Each provider evaluates own outcomes. - Answers Correct Answer: 2
Rationale: Characteristics of effective collaboration include common purpose and goals identified at the
outset, clinical competence of each provider, interpersonal competence, humor, trust, and valuing and
respecting diverse and complementary knowledge. The outcomes may not be positive for each
healthcare provider, as compromise may be necessary. Interdisciplinary goal setting may be an outcome
of collaboration but does not necessarily indicate that the collaboration was effective. Evaluation of own
outcomes does not reflect effective collaboration.
Question 4
The physician and nurse have asked the client to make a difficult decision regarding treatment options.
The client says, "I don't really know what to do. Do whatever you think is best." According to
characteristics of collaborative care, what is true of this situation?
1. The client must make the treatment decisions.
2. The client retains the right not to participate in this decision.
3. The healthcare professionals are responsible for the client's health.
4. The client is asking the healthcare professionals to define what health means to the client. - Answers
Correct Answer: 2
Rationale: The patient self-determination states that the client has the right to choose to participate or
not participate in healthcare decisions. The client does not have to make decisions, but has the right to
make decisions if desired. Responsibility for health falls on the client rather than on healthcare
professionals. Each individual's concept of health is important and legitimate for that individual.
Although clients lack expert remembering, they have their own ideas about health and illness.
Question 5
Collaborative practice creates a synergy among clients and providers. What does this statement mean?
1. The client has the final responsibility for decision-making.
2. Responsibility for health remains with the client.
3. The sum of the actions of the parties is greater than individual efforts.
4. The parties value and respect the diversity of their knowledge bases. - Answers Correct Answer: 3
,Rationale: Synergy means that the sum of the efforts of the parties is greater than the parts. It does not
mean that the client has final responsibility for decision-making or that responsibility for health remains
with the client. It does not mean that the parties value and respect diversity of knowledge bases.
Question 6
When considering collaborative practice, interdisciplinary healthcare teams have been particularly
effective in which environment?
1. Emergency departments
2. Critical care units
3. Outpatient services
4. Obstetrical services - Answers Correct Answer: 3
Rationale: Interdisciplinary healthcare teams function in all the environments listed. According to the
text, the teams have been particularly effective in outpatient services, where clients are seen by a
primary care physician or by a nurse practitioner and consultations are implemented as needed.
Question 7
H. S. Kim developed a theory of collaborative decision making in nursing practice. This theory describes
and explains collaborative interactions between nurses and which other group?
1. Physicians
2. Clients
3. Other nurses
4. Ancillary personnel - Answers Correct Answer: 2
Rationale: This theory describes and explains collaborative interactions between clients and nurses in
making healthcare decisions and the effect on outcomes. It does not address physician-nurse, nurse-
nurse, or nurse-ancillary personnel collaboration.
Question 8
Dalton extended Kim's theory of collaborative decision making in nursing practice to include which
group?
1. Social workers
2. Children and vulnerable populations
3. Psychologists
, 4. Family caregivers - Answers Correct Answer: 4
Rationale: Kim's original theory discussed the nurse and the client. Dalton extended this theory to
include family caregivers. This theory extension did not include social workers, children, vulnerable
populations, or psychologists.
Question 9
What is true about the nurse's role in collaboration?
1. Collaboration occurs mainly with physicians.
2. By law, nurses can collaborate only on client care issues.
3. Peer collaboration can occur only when both nurses are educated at the baccalaureate level.
4. It may include collaboration on health-related research - Answers Correct Answer: 4
Rationale: Nurses collaborate with clients, peers, and other healthcare professionals. They frequently
collaborate about client care, but may also be involved in collaborating on such topics as bioethical
issues, legislation, health-related research, and with professional organizations. There is not a
requirement that the nurses involved have a baccalaureate degree.
Question 10
What must nurses do to fulfill a collaborative role?
1. Graduate with at least a baccalaureate degree.
2. Assume increased authority in practice areas.
3. Redesign unit policies to allow collaboration.
4. Lobby state boards of nursing to approve this collaborative role. - Answers Correct Answer: 2
Rationale: Collaboration without action is incomplete. In order for the nurse to benefit from
collaboration, there is a need to assume accountability and increased authority in the area where the
nurse practices. A baccalaureate degree is not required. It is not necessary to write specific unit policies
to allow for collaboration. The state boards of nursing support the American Nurses Association
standard on collaboration, so lobbying is not needed.
Question 11
The laboratory supervisor states, "I would like to collaborate with nursing services to improve the way
they order laboratory tests." What is the error in this statement?
1. Laboratory supervisors should have no influence on nursing service.