1. A nurse manager is planning staffing for a unit. The nurse manager is
considering the acuity of patients, available resources, and the skills of the
nursing staff. What is the first step the nurse manager should take in the staffing
process?
a) Assign tasks to individual staff members
b) Evaluate the acuity of the patients
c) Organize the staff by experience
d) Determine the number of nurses needed
Answer: b) Evaluate the acuity of the patients
Rationale: The first step in staffing is to evaluate the acuity of patients. This ensures that the
appropriate number of nurses and skill levels are assigned based on the needs of the patients.
2. A nurse leader is working with a team to address a conflict between two team
members. The leader encourages them to discuss their differences openly and
find a resolution. What leadership style is the nurse leader demonstrating?
a) Autocratic
b) Transformational
c) Laissez-faire
d) Democratic
Answer: d) Democratic
Rationale: The democratic leadership style involves encouraging open communication and
collaboration to resolve conflicts, which is the approach described in this scenario.
3. A nurse supervisor observes that several nurses on the unit are feeling stressed
and overwhelmed by their workload. What is the most appropriate action for the
supervisor to take?
a) Increase the workload for the nurses
b) Provide additional training for the nurses
c) Offer support and resources to help manage stress
d) Ignore the issue and continue with daily tasks
Answer: c) Offer support and resources to help manage stress
Rationale: The supervisor should address the stress by offering support and resources to help the
nurses manage their workload effectively. This promotes staff well-being and retention.
,4. A nurse leader is conducting a performance evaluation for a staff nurse.
During the evaluation, the nurse leader provides specific examples of the nurse’s
strengths and areas for improvement. What type of evaluation method is the
nurse leader using?
a) Self-assessment
b) Peer review
c) Constructive feedback
d) Critical incident technique
Answer: c) Constructive feedback
Rationale: Constructive feedback involves providing specific examples of both strengths and
areas for improvement to help the employee grow professionally.
5. A nurse manager is implementing a new patient care protocol. The nurse
manager should ensure which of the following before implementing the change?
a) The change is strictly enforced without staff input
b) Staff are involved in planning and preparing for the change
c) The change is implemented immediately without any training
d) The staff are informed after the change is fully implemented
Answer: b) Staff are involved in planning and preparing for the change
Rationale: Involving staff in planning ensures better buy-in, understanding, and successful
implementation of changes in the workplace.
6. A nurse manager is observing that some staff members are not following safety
protocols consistently. What is the nurse manager's best course of action?
a) Ignore the behavior and hope it improves
b) Provide a written warning to each staff member
c) Hold a meeting to discuss the importance of safety protocols
d) Assign more tasks to those not following safety protocols
Answer: c) Hold a meeting to discuss the importance of safety protocols
Rationale: Holding a meeting to address safety protocols allows the nurse manager to clarify
expectations and reinforce the importance of following protocols for patient and staff safety.
, 7. A nurse manager is trying to motivate a team that is underperforming. Which
leadership strategy would be most effective in improving team performance?
a) Micromanage each team member’s tasks
b) Set clear, achievable goals and provide regular feedback
c) Ignore poor performance and focus on the successful staff members
d) Implement strict punishment for underperformance
Answer: b) Set clear, achievable goals and provide regular feedback
Rationale: Clear goals and feedback foster motivation and improvement in performance.
Micromanaging or punishment could lower morale and hinder growth.
8. A nurse leader notices that there is a lack of communication among team
members, leading to delays in patient care. What is the first action the nurse
leader should take?
a) Send an email to remind the team about communication expectations
b) Implement a daily briefing to improve communication
c) Assign one person to communicate for the entire team
d) Leave the team to resolve the issue on their own
Answer: b) Implement a daily briefing to improve communication
Rationale: A daily briefing helps ensure that the team is on the same page and improves
communication, leading to more efficient patient care.
9. A nurse manager is observing a nurse who is demonstrating signs of burnout.
What is the nurse manager’s most appropriate response?
a) Ignore the signs, as burnout is common in nursing
b) Suggest that the nurse take time off to recover
c) Provide a performance warning
d) Offer additional tasks to help the nurse stay busy
Answer: b) Suggest that the nurse take time off to recover
Rationale: Addressing burnout early is crucial for maintaining the nurse’s well-being.
Suggesting time off allows the nurse to recover and avoid further complications.
10. A nurse manager wants to increase staff engagement on the unit. Which
action is most likely to improve engagement?
considering the acuity of patients, available resources, and the skills of the
nursing staff. What is the first step the nurse manager should take in the staffing
process?
a) Assign tasks to individual staff members
b) Evaluate the acuity of the patients
c) Organize the staff by experience
d) Determine the number of nurses needed
Answer: b) Evaluate the acuity of the patients
Rationale: The first step in staffing is to evaluate the acuity of patients. This ensures that the
appropriate number of nurses and skill levels are assigned based on the needs of the patients.
2. A nurse leader is working with a team to address a conflict between two team
members. The leader encourages them to discuss their differences openly and
find a resolution. What leadership style is the nurse leader demonstrating?
a) Autocratic
b) Transformational
c) Laissez-faire
d) Democratic
Answer: d) Democratic
Rationale: The democratic leadership style involves encouraging open communication and
collaboration to resolve conflicts, which is the approach described in this scenario.
3. A nurse supervisor observes that several nurses on the unit are feeling stressed
and overwhelmed by their workload. What is the most appropriate action for the
supervisor to take?
a) Increase the workload for the nurses
b) Provide additional training for the nurses
c) Offer support and resources to help manage stress
d) Ignore the issue and continue with daily tasks
Answer: c) Offer support and resources to help manage stress
Rationale: The supervisor should address the stress by offering support and resources to help the
nurses manage their workload effectively. This promotes staff well-being and retention.
,4. A nurse leader is conducting a performance evaluation for a staff nurse.
During the evaluation, the nurse leader provides specific examples of the nurse’s
strengths and areas for improvement. What type of evaluation method is the
nurse leader using?
a) Self-assessment
b) Peer review
c) Constructive feedback
d) Critical incident technique
Answer: c) Constructive feedback
Rationale: Constructive feedback involves providing specific examples of both strengths and
areas for improvement to help the employee grow professionally.
5. A nurse manager is implementing a new patient care protocol. The nurse
manager should ensure which of the following before implementing the change?
a) The change is strictly enforced without staff input
b) Staff are involved in planning and preparing for the change
c) The change is implemented immediately without any training
d) The staff are informed after the change is fully implemented
Answer: b) Staff are involved in planning and preparing for the change
Rationale: Involving staff in planning ensures better buy-in, understanding, and successful
implementation of changes in the workplace.
6. A nurse manager is observing that some staff members are not following safety
protocols consistently. What is the nurse manager's best course of action?
a) Ignore the behavior and hope it improves
b) Provide a written warning to each staff member
c) Hold a meeting to discuss the importance of safety protocols
d) Assign more tasks to those not following safety protocols
Answer: c) Hold a meeting to discuss the importance of safety protocols
Rationale: Holding a meeting to address safety protocols allows the nurse manager to clarify
expectations and reinforce the importance of following protocols for patient and staff safety.
, 7. A nurse manager is trying to motivate a team that is underperforming. Which
leadership strategy would be most effective in improving team performance?
a) Micromanage each team member’s tasks
b) Set clear, achievable goals and provide regular feedback
c) Ignore poor performance and focus on the successful staff members
d) Implement strict punishment for underperformance
Answer: b) Set clear, achievable goals and provide regular feedback
Rationale: Clear goals and feedback foster motivation and improvement in performance.
Micromanaging or punishment could lower morale and hinder growth.
8. A nurse leader notices that there is a lack of communication among team
members, leading to delays in patient care. What is the first action the nurse
leader should take?
a) Send an email to remind the team about communication expectations
b) Implement a daily briefing to improve communication
c) Assign one person to communicate for the entire team
d) Leave the team to resolve the issue on their own
Answer: b) Implement a daily briefing to improve communication
Rationale: A daily briefing helps ensure that the team is on the same page and improves
communication, leading to more efficient patient care.
9. A nurse manager is observing a nurse who is demonstrating signs of burnout.
What is the nurse manager’s most appropriate response?
a) Ignore the signs, as burnout is common in nursing
b) Suggest that the nurse take time off to recover
c) Provide a performance warning
d) Offer additional tasks to help the nurse stay busy
Answer: b) Suggest that the nurse take time off to recover
Rationale: Addressing burnout early is crucial for maintaining the nurse’s well-being.
Suggesting time off allows the nurse to recover and avoid further complications.
10. A nurse manager wants to increase staff engagement on the unit. Which
action is most likely to improve engagement?
