NUR 5240 Nurse Leader Practicum I QUESTIONs
& Verified Answers (2026/2027)
QUESTION 1
A nurse manager on an inpatient medical-surgical unit emphasizes
empowering staff, fostering a shared vision, and inspiring nurses to
exceed standard expectations through personal growth and
collaboration. Which leadership style is this manager exhibiting?
• A. Transactional leadership
• B. Transformational leadership
• C. Autocratic leadership
• D. Laissez-faire leadership
Correct Answer: B. Transformational leadership
Detailed Rationale: Transformational leadership focuses on inspiring
and motivating followers by building trust, encouraging creativity, and
aligning personal goals with a collective organizational vision.
Transactional leadership relies more on rewards and punishments,
autocratic leadership uses top-down control, and laissez-faire
leadership is hands-off.
QUESTION 2
According to Kurt Lewin’s change theory, an organization is currently
maintaining its status quo, and the nurse leader needs to break down
,existing rigid habits and mindsets before introducing a new electronic
documentation system. What is this initial phase of change called?
• A. Refreezing
• B. Moving
• C. Unfreezing
• D. Standardizing
Correct Answer: C. Unfreezing
Detailed Rationale: Lewin’s change model consists of three stages:
unfreezing (creating awareness of the need for change and dismantling
the current status quo), moving/changing (implementing the change),
and refreezing (stabilizing the changes so they become the new habit or
standard).
QUESTION 3
An RN team leader asks an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) to
administer a routine oral medication to a stable resident in a long-term
care facility. Which of the "Five Rights of Delegation" has been violated
in this scenario?
• A. Right circumstance
• B. Right task
• C. Right supervision
• D. Right person
Correct Answer: B. Right task
,Detailed Rationale: The "Right task" specifies that activities must be
delegable for a specific patient. Administering medications is within the
scope of licensed nursing personnel and cannot legally or safely be
delegated to UAPs, making this an inappropriate task for delegation.
QUESTION 4
A nurse leader is implementing a quality improvement project to reduce
patient falls. The team decides to test a new hourly rounding protocol
on one single nursing unit for two weeks before evaluating its success.
Which continuous quality improvement framework is being applied?
• A. Six Sigma (DMAIC)
• B. Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle
• C. Root Cause Analysis (RCA)
• D. Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
Correct Answer: B. Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle
Detailed Rationale: The PDSA cycle is a rapid-cycle testing method used
in healthcare quality improvement. It involves planning the intervention
(Plan), executing it on a small scale (Do), analyzing the data and
studying the results (Study), and making adjustments or adopting the
change (Act).
QUESTION 5
Two charge nurses are experiencing a persistent interpersonal conflict
regarding scheduling equity. They sit down together, actively listen to
each other's underlying needs, and co-create a flexible scheduling
template that satisfies both of their primary concerns. Which conflict
management strategy has been utilized?
, • A. Avoiding
• B. Competing
• C. Accommodating
• D. Collaborating
Correct Answer: D. Collaborating
Detailed Rationale: Collaboration is a win-win conflict resolution
strategy where parties openly discuss concerns, explore underlying
needs, and work together to find a fully satisfying solution that
addresses all goals.
QUESTION 6
When preparing the annual operating budget for an acute care nursing
unit, which of the following expenses is classified as a direct fixed cost?
• A. Medical-surgical supplies used per patient dressing change
• B. Salaried nurse manager base salary
• C. Hourly overtime wages paid during high census spikes
• D. Disposable IV start kits
Correct Answer: B. Salaried nurse manager base salary
Detailed Rationale: Fixed costs do not fluctuate with patient volume or
census changes (e.g., nurse manager salary, unit rent if applicable).
Variable costs (like supplies and hourly overtime) change directly in
proportion to patient volume or acuity.
QUESTION 7
& Verified Answers (2026/2027)
QUESTION 1
A nurse manager on an inpatient medical-surgical unit emphasizes
empowering staff, fostering a shared vision, and inspiring nurses to
exceed standard expectations through personal growth and
collaboration. Which leadership style is this manager exhibiting?
• A. Transactional leadership
• B. Transformational leadership
• C. Autocratic leadership
• D. Laissez-faire leadership
Correct Answer: B. Transformational leadership
Detailed Rationale: Transformational leadership focuses on inspiring
and motivating followers by building trust, encouraging creativity, and
aligning personal goals with a collective organizational vision.
Transactional leadership relies more on rewards and punishments,
autocratic leadership uses top-down control, and laissez-faire
leadership is hands-off.
QUESTION 2
According to Kurt Lewin’s change theory, an organization is currently
maintaining its status quo, and the nurse leader needs to break down
,existing rigid habits and mindsets before introducing a new electronic
documentation system. What is this initial phase of change called?
• A. Refreezing
• B. Moving
• C. Unfreezing
• D. Standardizing
Correct Answer: C. Unfreezing
Detailed Rationale: Lewin’s change model consists of three stages:
unfreezing (creating awareness of the need for change and dismantling
the current status quo), moving/changing (implementing the change),
and refreezing (stabilizing the changes so they become the new habit or
standard).
QUESTION 3
An RN team leader asks an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) to
administer a routine oral medication to a stable resident in a long-term
care facility. Which of the "Five Rights of Delegation" has been violated
in this scenario?
• A. Right circumstance
• B. Right task
• C. Right supervision
• D. Right person
Correct Answer: B. Right task
,Detailed Rationale: The "Right task" specifies that activities must be
delegable for a specific patient. Administering medications is within the
scope of licensed nursing personnel and cannot legally or safely be
delegated to UAPs, making this an inappropriate task for delegation.
QUESTION 4
A nurse leader is implementing a quality improvement project to reduce
patient falls. The team decides to test a new hourly rounding protocol
on one single nursing unit for two weeks before evaluating its success.
Which continuous quality improvement framework is being applied?
• A. Six Sigma (DMAIC)
• B. Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle
• C. Root Cause Analysis (RCA)
• D. Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
Correct Answer: B. Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle
Detailed Rationale: The PDSA cycle is a rapid-cycle testing method used
in healthcare quality improvement. It involves planning the intervention
(Plan), executing it on a small scale (Do), analyzing the data and
studying the results (Study), and making adjustments or adopting the
change (Act).
QUESTION 5
Two charge nurses are experiencing a persistent interpersonal conflict
regarding scheduling equity. They sit down together, actively listen to
each other's underlying needs, and co-create a flexible scheduling
template that satisfies both of their primary concerns. Which conflict
management strategy has been utilized?
, • A. Avoiding
• B. Competing
• C. Accommodating
• D. Collaborating
Correct Answer: D. Collaborating
Detailed Rationale: Collaboration is a win-win conflict resolution
strategy where parties openly discuss concerns, explore underlying
needs, and work together to find a fully satisfying solution that
addresses all goals.
QUESTION 6
When preparing the annual operating budget for an acute care nursing
unit, which of the following expenses is classified as a direct fixed cost?
• A. Medical-surgical supplies used per patient dressing change
• B. Salaried nurse manager base salary
• C. Hourly overtime wages paid during high census spikes
• D. Disposable IV start kits
Correct Answer: B. Salaried nurse manager base salary
Detailed Rationale: Fixed costs do not fluctuate with patient volume or
census changes (e.g., nurse manager salary, unit rent if applicable).
Variable costs (like supplies and hourly overtime) change directly in
proportion to patient volume or acuity.
QUESTION 7
