ESTUDYR
THE COMPREHENSIVE NCLEX-PN REVIEW (SCTCC)
2025 MULTICHOICE ANSWERED EXAM QUESTIONS
WITH DETAILED RATIONALES
Authoritarian (autocratic) nursing leadership is best described as:
A. Involving staff in all decisions and promoting consensus.
B. Using a hands-off approach and allowing staff to self-manage.
C. Using negative reinforcement and punishment to control staff; often micromanages.
D. Motivating staff through rewards and transactional contracts.
Rationale: Authoritarian leaders make decisions unilaterally, often use strict control,
punishment, or negative reinforcement and micromanagement tactics.
Which example best illustrates authoritarian leadership?
A. The manager asks staff for input on uniform color.
B. The manager orders all staff to wear blue scrubs without consulting them.
C. The manager lets staff set their own schedules.
D. The manager delegates scheduling to a committee.
Rationale: Imposing a uniform decision without staff input demonstrates autocratic decision-
making.
Democratic (participative) nursing leadership is characterized by:
A. Total withdrawal from staff matters.
B. Top-down decision making with strict rules.
C. Encouraging participation, empowering staff, and focusing on job satisfaction.
D. Rewarding only high performers financially.
Rationale: Democratic leaders seek staff input, foster collaboration, and work to improve
morale and satisfaction.
Which example best represents democratic leadership?
A. The manager unilaterally assigns holiday time.
B. The manager allows staff to choose preferred holidays before finalizing the schedule.
C. The manager refuses to discuss scheduling.
D. The manager disciplines staff without discussion.
Rationale: Allowing staff to participate in scheduling decisions reflects a participative approach.
,ESTUDYR
Laissez-faire nursing leadership most accurately means:
A. Close supervision and frequent feedback.
B. Heavy use of rules and punishments.
C. Hands-off approach allowing staff to function independently without strong supervision.
D. Emphasis on short-term transactional rewards.
Rationale: Laissez-faire leaders provide minimal direction and let staff manage themselves.
Which scenario is an example of laissez-faire leadership?
A. Manager enforces strict protocols daily.
B. Manager personally assigns every task.
C. Manager delegates scheduling entirely to staff and does not participate.
D. Manager conducts daily audits of performance.
Rationale: Delegating responsibility without oversight is characteristic of laissez-faire style.
Transactional nursing leadership primarily focuses on:
A. Visionary transformation and long-term change.
B. Ignoring staff performance.
C. Addressing immediate problems using rewards/punishments to motivate toward goals.
D. Hands-off empowerment without feedback.
Rationale: Transactional leaders use contingent rewards and corrective actions to manage
performance.
Which example demonstrates transactional leadership?
A. Manager coaches staff on career growth.
B. Manager sends emails praising specific behaviors and updates focused unit goals.
C. Manager ignores unit issues until crisis.
D. Manager changes organizational culture single-handedly.
Rationale: Communicating rewards and focused updates to influence behavior is transactional.
Which list correctly names the five functions of nurse management?
A. Hiring, disciplining, educating, supervising, firing.
B. Planning, organizing, staffing, directing, controlling.
C. Assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, evaluation.
D. Budgeting, litigating, documenting, auditing, marketing.
Rationale: Classic management functions are planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and
controlling.
Which nursing leadership style is generally considered most effective for staff engagement
and quality care?
A. Authoritarian.
,ESTUDYR
B. Laissez-faire.
C. Democratic (participative).
D. Purely transactional.
Rationale: Democratic leadership fosters participation, job satisfaction, communication, and
better team outcomes.
Interpersonal conflict is defined as:
A. Conflict within an individual’s thoughts and values.
B. Conflict between two or more people.
C. Conflict between organizations only.
D. Conflict between machines and people.
Rationale: Interpersonal conflict occurs between individuals (e.g., coworkers, supervisor-staff).
Intrapersonal conflict refers to:
A. Conflict between departments.
B. Conflict that occurs within an individual (values, beliefs, choices).
C. Conflict between two organizations.
D. Conflict between patient and family.
Rationale: Intrapersonal conflict is internal struggle—competing values, roles, or decisions.
Intergroup conflict occurs when:
A. Two nurses argue about a patient.
B. One person experiences inner turmoil.
C. Two or more groups (e.g., departments, units) have opposing goals or scarce resources.
D. A patient and visitor disagree.
Rationale: Intergroup conflict involves groups, not just individuals.
Which is NOT a standard conflict-management style?
A. Avoidance/withdrawing.
B. Cooperating/accommodation.
C. Collaboration.
D. Punishing/ostracizing.
Rationale: Punishing/ostracizing is not recognized as a constructive conflict management style;
common styles include avoidance, accommodation, compromise, competition/coercion,
collaboration, smoothing.
Which list correctly orders common conflict management styles?
A. Ignoring, punishing, rewarding, counseling.
B. Avoidance/withdrawing; cooperating/accommodation; compromising/negotiation;
competing/coercing; collaboration; smoothing.
, ESTUDYR
C. Debate, argue, escalate, sue.
D. Mediate, litigate, arbitrate, enforce.
Rationale: These are commonly taught conflict styles in nursing/management education.
Performance improvement (quality improvement) in nursing primarily:
A. Punishes staff for poor outcomes.
B. Focuses only on individual blame.
C. Identifies and resolves performance deficiencies, assessing outcomes to improve quality
care.
D. Replaces staff when errors occur.
Rationale: QI aims to systemically improve processes and outcomes rather than blame
individuals.
Should variances or incident reports be placed in the client’s chart?
A. Yes — always include full incident reports in the chart.
B. Yes — but only if the family requests it.
C. No — incident/variance reports are filed separately but must be reported in the
appropriate system.
D. No — they should be destroyed after 24 hours.
Rationale: Incident reports are risk-management documents kept separately; factual
documentation of the event appears in the chart but not the actual incident form.
Which of the following is a reportable incident? (Select best single answer)
A. Patient enjoyed a meal late.
B. Routine shift change.
C. Medication error, needlestick injury, patient fall, equipment injury, visitor injury, threats,
loss of property.
D. Nurse arriving on time.
Rationale: Reportable incidents include medication errors, procedural errors, equipment
injuries, needlesticks, falls, threats, and loss of property.
What is the first step in the nursing budgeting process?
A. Monitoring and approval.
B. Planning: determine needs.
C. Modification of the budget.
D. Purchasing supplies.
Rationale: Budgeting begins with planning—identifying needs and priorities.
Which sequence correctly outlines the nursing budgeting process?
A. Preparation → monitoring → planning → modification.
THE COMPREHENSIVE NCLEX-PN REVIEW (SCTCC)
2025 MULTICHOICE ANSWERED EXAM QUESTIONS
WITH DETAILED RATIONALES
Authoritarian (autocratic) nursing leadership is best described as:
A. Involving staff in all decisions and promoting consensus.
B. Using a hands-off approach and allowing staff to self-manage.
C. Using negative reinforcement and punishment to control staff; often micromanages.
D. Motivating staff through rewards and transactional contracts.
Rationale: Authoritarian leaders make decisions unilaterally, often use strict control,
punishment, or negative reinforcement and micromanagement tactics.
Which example best illustrates authoritarian leadership?
A. The manager asks staff for input on uniform color.
B. The manager orders all staff to wear blue scrubs without consulting them.
C. The manager lets staff set their own schedules.
D. The manager delegates scheduling to a committee.
Rationale: Imposing a uniform decision without staff input demonstrates autocratic decision-
making.
Democratic (participative) nursing leadership is characterized by:
A. Total withdrawal from staff matters.
B. Top-down decision making with strict rules.
C. Encouraging participation, empowering staff, and focusing on job satisfaction.
D. Rewarding only high performers financially.
Rationale: Democratic leaders seek staff input, foster collaboration, and work to improve
morale and satisfaction.
Which example best represents democratic leadership?
A. The manager unilaterally assigns holiday time.
B. The manager allows staff to choose preferred holidays before finalizing the schedule.
C. The manager refuses to discuss scheduling.
D. The manager disciplines staff without discussion.
Rationale: Allowing staff to participate in scheduling decisions reflects a participative approach.
,ESTUDYR
Laissez-faire nursing leadership most accurately means:
A. Close supervision and frequent feedback.
B. Heavy use of rules and punishments.
C. Hands-off approach allowing staff to function independently without strong supervision.
D. Emphasis on short-term transactional rewards.
Rationale: Laissez-faire leaders provide minimal direction and let staff manage themselves.
Which scenario is an example of laissez-faire leadership?
A. Manager enforces strict protocols daily.
B. Manager personally assigns every task.
C. Manager delegates scheduling entirely to staff and does not participate.
D. Manager conducts daily audits of performance.
Rationale: Delegating responsibility without oversight is characteristic of laissez-faire style.
Transactional nursing leadership primarily focuses on:
A. Visionary transformation and long-term change.
B. Ignoring staff performance.
C. Addressing immediate problems using rewards/punishments to motivate toward goals.
D. Hands-off empowerment without feedback.
Rationale: Transactional leaders use contingent rewards and corrective actions to manage
performance.
Which example demonstrates transactional leadership?
A. Manager coaches staff on career growth.
B. Manager sends emails praising specific behaviors and updates focused unit goals.
C. Manager ignores unit issues until crisis.
D. Manager changes organizational culture single-handedly.
Rationale: Communicating rewards and focused updates to influence behavior is transactional.
Which list correctly names the five functions of nurse management?
A. Hiring, disciplining, educating, supervising, firing.
B. Planning, organizing, staffing, directing, controlling.
C. Assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, evaluation.
D. Budgeting, litigating, documenting, auditing, marketing.
Rationale: Classic management functions are planning, organizing, staffing, directing, and
controlling.
Which nursing leadership style is generally considered most effective for staff engagement
and quality care?
A. Authoritarian.
,ESTUDYR
B. Laissez-faire.
C. Democratic (participative).
D. Purely transactional.
Rationale: Democratic leadership fosters participation, job satisfaction, communication, and
better team outcomes.
Interpersonal conflict is defined as:
A. Conflict within an individual’s thoughts and values.
B. Conflict between two or more people.
C. Conflict between organizations only.
D. Conflict between machines and people.
Rationale: Interpersonal conflict occurs between individuals (e.g., coworkers, supervisor-staff).
Intrapersonal conflict refers to:
A. Conflict between departments.
B. Conflict that occurs within an individual (values, beliefs, choices).
C. Conflict between two organizations.
D. Conflict between patient and family.
Rationale: Intrapersonal conflict is internal struggle—competing values, roles, or decisions.
Intergroup conflict occurs when:
A. Two nurses argue about a patient.
B. One person experiences inner turmoil.
C. Two or more groups (e.g., departments, units) have opposing goals or scarce resources.
D. A patient and visitor disagree.
Rationale: Intergroup conflict involves groups, not just individuals.
Which is NOT a standard conflict-management style?
A. Avoidance/withdrawing.
B. Cooperating/accommodation.
C. Collaboration.
D. Punishing/ostracizing.
Rationale: Punishing/ostracizing is not recognized as a constructive conflict management style;
common styles include avoidance, accommodation, compromise, competition/coercion,
collaboration, smoothing.
Which list correctly orders common conflict management styles?
A. Ignoring, punishing, rewarding, counseling.
B. Avoidance/withdrawing; cooperating/accommodation; compromising/negotiation;
competing/coercing; collaboration; smoothing.
, ESTUDYR
C. Debate, argue, escalate, sue.
D. Mediate, litigate, arbitrate, enforce.
Rationale: These are commonly taught conflict styles in nursing/management education.
Performance improvement (quality improvement) in nursing primarily:
A. Punishes staff for poor outcomes.
B. Focuses only on individual blame.
C. Identifies and resolves performance deficiencies, assessing outcomes to improve quality
care.
D. Replaces staff when errors occur.
Rationale: QI aims to systemically improve processes and outcomes rather than blame
individuals.
Should variances or incident reports be placed in the client’s chart?
A. Yes — always include full incident reports in the chart.
B. Yes — but only if the family requests it.
C. No — incident/variance reports are filed separately but must be reported in the
appropriate system.
D. No — they should be destroyed after 24 hours.
Rationale: Incident reports are risk-management documents kept separately; factual
documentation of the event appears in the chart but not the actual incident form.
Which of the following is a reportable incident? (Select best single answer)
A. Patient enjoyed a meal late.
B. Routine shift change.
C. Medication error, needlestick injury, patient fall, equipment injury, visitor injury, threats,
loss of property.
D. Nurse arriving on time.
Rationale: Reportable incidents include medication errors, procedural errors, equipment
injuries, needlesticks, falls, threats, and loss of property.
What is the first step in the nursing budgeting process?
A. Monitoring and approval.
B. Planning: determine needs.
C. Modification of the budget.
D. Purchasing supplies.
Rationale: Budgeting begins with planning—identifying needs and priorities.
Which sequence correctly outlines the nursing budgeting process?
A. Preparation → monitoring → planning → modification.
