ATI RN Leadership & Management
Proctored Exam – 2025 Verified
Correct Answers
Question 1:
A nurse manager is delegating tasks to a licensed practical nurse (LPN). Which task is
appropriate for delegation?
A. Developing a care plan for a new patient with complex needs. B. Administering oral
medications to stable patients. C. Performing a comprehensive admission assessment. D.
Evaluating the effectiveness of patient education.
B. Administering oral medications to stable patients.
Rationale: Delegation principles (ANA, 2025) allow LPNs to perform routine procedures like
medication administration under RN supervision for stable patients, ensuring safe task
assignment based on scope of practice. This aligns with the five rights of delegation: right task,
circumstance, person, direction, and communication.
Question 2:
A charge nurse observes a team member engaging in unethical behavior, such as falsifying
documentation. What is the nurse's first action?
A. Confront the team member privately to resolve it quickly. B. Report the incident to the nurse
manager immediately. C. Ignore it to avoid conflict. D. Document it personally without notifying
anyone.
B. Report the incident to the nurse manager immediately.
Rationale: Ethical leadership requires upholding integrity and accountability (ANA Code of
Ethics, 2025 Provision 4). Reporting ensures chain of command is followed, preventing harm
and promoting a culture of transparency, as per just culture principles that distinguish human
error from reckless behavior.
Question 3:
A nurse leader is implementing transformational leadership. Which behavior exemplifies this
style?
,A. Providing rewards for meeting performance targets. B. Inspiring the team with a vision for
improved patient outcomes. C. Enforcing strict adherence to policies. D. Delegating tasks
without guidance.
B. Inspiring the team with a vision for improved patient outcomes.
Rationale: Transformational leadership (Bass & Riggio, 2025 update) involves idealized
influence and inspirational motivation to elevate follower commitment, fostering innovation and
shared vision. This contrasts with transactional (rewards) or laissez-faire styles, enhancing nurse
retention and quality care.
Question 4:
When delegating to an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP), the nurse must ensure:
A. The UAP can make independent clinical judgments. B. Clear instructions and supervision for
non-nursing tasks. C. The UAP performs assessments. D. All tasks are complex and require RN
oversight.
B. Clear instructions and supervision for non-nursing tasks.
Rationale: Delegation to UAP is limited to non-nursing functions like ADLs (NCLEX-RN
guidelines, 2025), with RN accountability for outcomes. The five rights ensure safety, preventing
scope violations and legal risks.
Question 5:
A nurse manager faces a budget cut. Using ethical decision-making, the priority is:
A. Lay off the least productive staff first. B. Prioritize patient safety and equitable resource
allocation. C. Reduce training programs entirely. D. Favor senior staff for retention.
B. Prioritize patient safety and equitable resource allocation.
Rationale: Ethical principles (beneficence, justice, nonmaleficence per ANA 2025) guide
resource decisions to minimize harm, using frameworks like utilitarianism for greatest good.
This upholds fiduciary duty to patients over administrative convenience.
Question 6:
Democratic leadership is best suited for:
A. Crisis situations requiring quick decisions. B. Teams with high expertise needing input. C.
Routine administrative tasks. D. Low-morale environments.
B. Teams with high expertise needing input.
, Rationale: Democratic (Lewin, 1939; updated 2025 OB texts) encourages participation,
boosting motivation and ownership in knowledgeable groups, leading to better decisions via
diverse perspectives, unlike autocratic for emergencies.
Question 7:
A nurse delegates vital signs monitoring to a UAP. What follow-up is required?
A. No follow-up needed if routine. B. Verify results and intervene if abnormal. C. Delegate
reporting to another RN. D. Accept all UAP data without question.
B. Verify results and intervene if abnormal.
Rationale: RN accountability (NCSBN Delegation Model, 2025) mandates supervision,
including verification of findings and communication of changes, ensuring patient safety and
preventing errors in delegation chain.
Question 8:
An ethical dilemma arises when a colleague witnesses a medication error. The ethical action is:
A. Handle it informally to protect the colleague. B. Report via incident system for learning and
prevention. C. Wait for the patient to complain. D. Document privately.
B. Report via incident system for learning and prevention.
Rationale: Just culture (Dekker, 2025) encourages reporting without blame for system
improvements, aligning with ANA Provision 5 (duty to self and others) to prioritize safety and
ethical accountability over loyalty.
Question 9:
Servant leadership focuses on:
A. Leader authority and control. B. Empowering followers to grow and serve others. C.
Transactional exchanges. D. Charismatic inspiration.
B. Empowering followers to grow and serve others.
Rationale: Greenleaf's model (2025 ed.) emphasizes listening and empathy, leading to higher
follower satisfaction and ethical behaviors, as evidenced by studies showing reduced burnout in
servant-led units.
Question 10:
Delegation of a stable patient's dressing change to an LPN requires:
Proctored Exam – 2025 Verified
Correct Answers
Question 1:
A nurse manager is delegating tasks to a licensed practical nurse (LPN). Which task is
appropriate for delegation?
A. Developing a care plan for a new patient with complex needs. B. Administering oral
medications to stable patients. C. Performing a comprehensive admission assessment. D.
Evaluating the effectiveness of patient education.
B. Administering oral medications to stable patients.
Rationale: Delegation principles (ANA, 2025) allow LPNs to perform routine procedures like
medication administration under RN supervision for stable patients, ensuring safe task
assignment based on scope of practice. This aligns with the five rights of delegation: right task,
circumstance, person, direction, and communication.
Question 2:
A charge nurse observes a team member engaging in unethical behavior, such as falsifying
documentation. What is the nurse's first action?
A. Confront the team member privately to resolve it quickly. B. Report the incident to the nurse
manager immediately. C. Ignore it to avoid conflict. D. Document it personally without notifying
anyone.
B. Report the incident to the nurse manager immediately.
Rationale: Ethical leadership requires upholding integrity and accountability (ANA Code of
Ethics, 2025 Provision 4). Reporting ensures chain of command is followed, preventing harm
and promoting a culture of transparency, as per just culture principles that distinguish human
error from reckless behavior.
Question 3:
A nurse leader is implementing transformational leadership. Which behavior exemplifies this
style?
,A. Providing rewards for meeting performance targets. B. Inspiring the team with a vision for
improved patient outcomes. C. Enforcing strict adherence to policies. D. Delegating tasks
without guidance.
B. Inspiring the team with a vision for improved patient outcomes.
Rationale: Transformational leadership (Bass & Riggio, 2025 update) involves idealized
influence and inspirational motivation to elevate follower commitment, fostering innovation and
shared vision. This contrasts with transactional (rewards) or laissez-faire styles, enhancing nurse
retention and quality care.
Question 4:
When delegating to an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP), the nurse must ensure:
A. The UAP can make independent clinical judgments. B. Clear instructions and supervision for
non-nursing tasks. C. The UAP performs assessments. D. All tasks are complex and require RN
oversight.
B. Clear instructions and supervision for non-nursing tasks.
Rationale: Delegation to UAP is limited to non-nursing functions like ADLs (NCLEX-RN
guidelines, 2025), with RN accountability for outcomes. The five rights ensure safety, preventing
scope violations and legal risks.
Question 5:
A nurse manager faces a budget cut. Using ethical decision-making, the priority is:
A. Lay off the least productive staff first. B. Prioritize patient safety and equitable resource
allocation. C. Reduce training programs entirely. D. Favor senior staff for retention.
B. Prioritize patient safety and equitable resource allocation.
Rationale: Ethical principles (beneficence, justice, nonmaleficence per ANA 2025) guide
resource decisions to minimize harm, using frameworks like utilitarianism for greatest good.
This upholds fiduciary duty to patients over administrative convenience.
Question 6:
Democratic leadership is best suited for:
A. Crisis situations requiring quick decisions. B. Teams with high expertise needing input. C.
Routine administrative tasks. D. Low-morale environments.
B. Teams with high expertise needing input.
, Rationale: Democratic (Lewin, 1939; updated 2025 OB texts) encourages participation,
boosting motivation and ownership in knowledgeable groups, leading to better decisions via
diverse perspectives, unlike autocratic for emergencies.
Question 7:
A nurse delegates vital signs monitoring to a UAP. What follow-up is required?
A. No follow-up needed if routine. B. Verify results and intervene if abnormal. C. Delegate
reporting to another RN. D. Accept all UAP data without question.
B. Verify results and intervene if abnormal.
Rationale: RN accountability (NCSBN Delegation Model, 2025) mandates supervision,
including verification of findings and communication of changes, ensuring patient safety and
preventing errors in delegation chain.
Question 8:
An ethical dilemma arises when a colleague witnesses a medication error. The ethical action is:
A. Handle it informally to protect the colleague. B. Report via incident system for learning and
prevention. C. Wait for the patient to complain. D. Document privately.
B. Report via incident system for learning and prevention.
Rationale: Just culture (Dekker, 2025) encourages reporting without blame for system
improvements, aligning with ANA Provision 5 (duty to self and others) to prioritize safety and
ethical accountability over loyalty.
Question 9:
Servant leadership focuses on:
A. Leader authority and control. B. Empowering followers to grow and serve others. C.
Transactional exchanges. D. Charismatic inspiration.
B. Empowering followers to grow and serve others.
Rationale: Greenleaf's model (2025 ed.) emphasizes listening and empathy, leading to higher
follower satisfaction and ethical behaviors, as evidenced by studies showing reduced burnout in
servant-led units.
Question 10:
Delegation of a stable patient's dressing change to an LPN requires:
