LEADERSHIP ROLES AND MANAGEMENT
FUNCTIONS IN NURSING
THEORY AND APPLICATION
11TH EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)CAROL J. HUSTON
TEST BANK
1
Reference: Ch. 1 — Decision Making, Problem Solving, Critical
Thinking, and Clinical Reasoning — Defining Objectives Clearly
Stem: A newly appointed nurse manager must redesign the unit
handoff to reduce medication errors. Before meeting staff to
propose changes, what should the manager do first to ensure
purposeful decision making?
A. Hold a staff meeting to solicit immediate suggestions.
B. Define measurable objectives for the handoff redesign.
,C. Implement an evidence-based standardized handoff tool
immediately.
D. Delegate the redesign to the clinical nurse specialist.
Correct answer: B
Rationales
Correct (B): Defining measurable objectives clarifies what
success looks like (e.g., reduce med errors by X%), guiding data
collection and option generation consistent with Huston’s
emphasis on clear objectives. It frames subsequent steps and
evaluation.
A: Jumping to a staff meeting without objectives risks
unfocused suggestions and failure to measure outcomes.
C: Implementing immediately ignores problem analysis and
stakeholder input; it may not address root causes.
D: Delegating redesign before setting objectives may diffuse
accountability and misalign outcomes.
Teaching point: Start with clear, measurable objectives to guide
decisions.
Citation: Huston, C. J. (2024). Leadership Roles and
Management Functions in Nursing (11th ed.). Ch. 1.
2
Reference: Ch. 1 — Decision Making, Problem Solving, Critical
Thinking, and Clinical Reasoning — Gather Data Carefully
Stem: A charge nurse notes rising falls on the unit and must
,decide whether to change fall prevention measures. Which
action best aligns with careful data gathering before choosing
an intervention?
A. Review incident reports and perform bedside audits for two
weeks.
B. Order additional bed alarms for every patient immediately.
C. Send a mass email reminding staff about fall prevention
policies.
D. Replace the night shift nurse with a more experienced nurse.
Correct answer: A
Rationales
Correct (A): Reviewing incident reports and conducting audits
collects objective, context-specific data to identify patterns and
root causes—essential before selecting interventions per
Huston’s data-gathering principle.
B: Purchasing equipment without analysis may not address
underlying causes and wastes resources.
C: Reminders without targeted data often have limited effect
and may not change behavior.
D: Replacing staff is a personnel action that doesn’t target
system issues revealed by data.
Teaching point: Collect unit-specific data before selecting
interventions.
Citation: Huston, C. J. (2024). Leadership Roles and
Management Functions in Nursing (11th ed.). Ch. 1.
, 3
Reference: Ch. 1 — Decision Making, Problem Solving, Critical
Thinking, and Clinical Reasoning — Use an Evidence-Based
Approach
Stem: A leader considers using a novel sepsis screening
checklist developed externally. What is the most evidence-
based first step before adopting it on their unit?
A. Implement the checklist across the unit to evaluate
outcomes.
B. Adapt the checklist and pilot it with a small patient
population.
C. Ask staff whether they like the checklist design.
D. Discard external tools and create an in-house checklist.
Correct answer: B
Rationales
Correct (B): Piloting an adapted checklist combines evidence
from literature with local context testing—an evidence-based
approach that reduces risk and follows Huston’s guidance to
test before full implementation.
A: Implementing unit-wide without piloting risks unforeseen
harms and lacks iterative evaluation.
C: Staff preference matters but should follow evidence and pilot
results.
D: Starting from scratch discards potentially useful evidence and
delays improvement.
FUNCTIONS IN NURSING
THEORY AND APPLICATION
11TH EDITION
• AUTHOR(S)CAROL J. HUSTON
TEST BANK
1
Reference: Ch. 1 — Decision Making, Problem Solving, Critical
Thinking, and Clinical Reasoning — Defining Objectives Clearly
Stem: A newly appointed nurse manager must redesign the unit
handoff to reduce medication errors. Before meeting staff to
propose changes, what should the manager do first to ensure
purposeful decision making?
A. Hold a staff meeting to solicit immediate suggestions.
B. Define measurable objectives for the handoff redesign.
,C. Implement an evidence-based standardized handoff tool
immediately.
D. Delegate the redesign to the clinical nurse specialist.
Correct answer: B
Rationales
Correct (B): Defining measurable objectives clarifies what
success looks like (e.g., reduce med errors by X%), guiding data
collection and option generation consistent with Huston’s
emphasis on clear objectives. It frames subsequent steps and
evaluation.
A: Jumping to a staff meeting without objectives risks
unfocused suggestions and failure to measure outcomes.
C: Implementing immediately ignores problem analysis and
stakeholder input; it may not address root causes.
D: Delegating redesign before setting objectives may diffuse
accountability and misalign outcomes.
Teaching point: Start with clear, measurable objectives to guide
decisions.
Citation: Huston, C. J. (2024). Leadership Roles and
Management Functions in Nursing (11th ed.). Ch. 1.
2
Reference: Ch. 1 — Decision Making, Problem Solving, Critical
Thinking, and Clinical Reasoning — Gather Data Carefully
Stem: A charge nurse notes rising falls on the unit and must
,decide whether to change fall prevention measures. Which
action best aligns with careful data gathering before choosing
an intervention?
A. Review incident reports and perform bedside audits for two
weeks.
B. Order additional bed alarms for every patient immediately.
C. Send a mass email reminding staff about fall prevention
policies.
D. Replace the night shift nurse with a more experienced nurse.
Correct answer: A
Rationales
Correct (A): Reviewing incident reports and conducting audits
collects objective, context-specific data to identify patterns and
root causes—essential before selecting interventions per
Huston’s data-gathering principle.
B: Purchasing equipment without analysis may not address
underlying causes and wastes resources.
C: Reminders without targeted data often have limited effect
and may not change behavior.
D: Replacing staff is a personnel action that doesn’t target
system issues revealed by data.
Teaching point: Collect unit-specific data before selecting
interventions.
Citation: Huston, C. J. (2024). Leadership Roles and
Management Functions in Nursing (11th ed.). Ch. 1.
, 3
Reference: Ch. 1 — Decision Making, Problem Solving, Critical
Thinking, and Clinical Reasoning — Use an Evidence-Based
Approach
Stem: A leader considers using a novel sepsis screening
checklist developed externally. What is the most evidence-
based first step before adopting it on their unit?
A. Implement the checklist across the unit to evaluate
outcomes.
B. Adapt the checklist and pilot it with a small patient
population.
C. Ask staff whether they like the checklist design.
D. Discard external tools and create an in-house checklist.
Correct answer: B
Rationales
Correct (B): Piloting an adapted checklist combines evidence
from literature with local context testing—an evidence-based
approach that reduces risk and follows Huston’s guidance to
test before full implementation.
A: Implementing unit-wide without piloting risks unforeseen
harms and lacks iterative evaluation.
C: Staff preference matters but should follow evidence and pilot
results.
D: Starting from scratch discards potentially useful evidence and
delays improvement.
