NURS 420 Exam 3 Study Questions
with Elaborate Answers Latest
Edition
1. When is high sensitivity needed? - ANSWER when early treatment is
important and when identification of every case is important
2. When is high specificity needed? - ANSWER When rescreening is
impractical and when it is important to reduce false-positives
3. The nurse manager is reviewing the current staff to determine who should
precept a newly licensed nurse. Which nurse is the most logical choice?
A. A nurse who needs the temporary pay increase that accompanies
precepting.
B. A nurse who is clinically competent and has the desire to assume the
responsibility to train new staff.
C. A nurse who has expressed the desire for additional training and unit
responsibilities
D. The nurse who needs to work and 8-hour schedule for a few weeks
while recovering from a work-related accident. - ANSWER Correct
Answer: 2
Rationale 1: The preceptor role may offer a financial incentive, but this is not
sufficient reason to choose this nurse.
Rationale 2: Clinical competence and concern for effective orientation of new
nurses are critical attributes for the preceptor.
Rationale 3: While precepting will be an additional unit responsibility, the focus
is on orienting the new nurse, not on increasing a staff nurse's skills.
Rationale 4: Preceptorship may or may not be based on an 8-hour schedule.
Also, a nurse recovering from an accident may not have the focus and energy
necessary for precepting.
,4. After the second week of orientation the new nurse witnesses the death of a
child in the ED. Which role should this nurse's preceptor focus on at this
time?
A. Orientation of the nurse to protocols associated with this death.
B. Socialization of the nurse to the staff.
C. Counseling the new nurse.
D. Serving as a role model. - ANSWER Correct Answer: 3
Rationale 1: The new nurse should be oriented to protocols, but this is not the
most important role at this time.
Rationale 2: The new nurse should be socialized to the staff, but this is not the
most important role at this time.
Rationale 3: In this situation the most important role is counseling.
Rationale 4: The preceptor should always act as a role model for the new nurse,
but this is not the most important role at this time.
5. A nurse manager wishes to use a model of job performance to help match
employees and tasks to achieve the greatest effectiveness. What should the
manager do first?
A. Evaluate each employee's education and experiential background
B. Establish, in writing, the expectations of each task
C. Consider how much variation from standard is acceptable.
D. Review unit statistics for incidents, errors, and accidents. - ANSWER
Correct Answer: 2
Rationale 1: This evaluation is not the first step of this process.
Rationale 2: In order to know which employee can do the task, a description of
how the task looks when it is done correctly must be established.
Rationale 3: Variation from standard cannot be assessed until the acceptable
standard is established.
Rationale 4: Using a job performance model focuses on specific individuals, not
unit wide statistics.
,6. The nursing administration has instituted a "horizontal promotion" system
within the nursing department. What benefit is this program to the staff
nurse?
A. The most competent nurses will rise to managerial positions.
B. It rewards the nurse's clinical excellence.
C. Over time the nurse will move steadily upward through the levels.
D. The process is practice based rather than research based. - ANSWER
Correct Answer: 2
Rationale 1: In horizontal promotion, the system rewards clinical excellence by
moving clinically superb nurses upward on a clinical ladder, but they remain at
the bedside.
Rationale 2: Horizontal promotion is a reward for clinical excellence.
Rationale 3: This promotion process is based upon the nurse's clinical
excellence, not longevity.
Rationale 4: The process is based on Patricia Benner's novice-to-expert
concepts.
7. An experienced nurse often answers less experienced nurses' questions about
client care and teaches hemodynamics during orientation to the unit. The
nurse has also participated in research into hemodynamic monitoring of ICU
clients. Which clinical ladder designation does this nurse best exemplify?
A. Clinical colleague
B. Clinical mentor
C. Clinical leader
D. Clinical expert - ANSWER Correct Answer: 4
Rationale 1: Clinical colleagues are full partners in care, but do not teach or do
research.
Rationale 2: A clinical mentor demonstrates preceptor abilities.
Rationale 3: A clinical leader demonstrates leadership in practice.
Rationale 4: The clinical expert combines teaching and research with practice.
, 8. A nurse manager is investigating the application of the principles of equity
theory to rewarding staff. Which options are rewards that the manager could
influence?
Select all that apply.
A. 1. Job satisfaction
B. Prestige
C. Pay
D. Ability
E. Effort - ANSWER Correct Answer: 1,2
Rationale 1: Job satisfaction is a reward that the manager could influence.
Rationale 2: The prestige associated with a job is a reward the manager could
influence.
Rationale 3: Pay is a reward the manager could influence.
Rationale 4: Ability is typically seen as a contribution to the job by the
employee.
Rationale 5: Effort is a job contribution by the employee.
9. Which findings associated with an employee are likely to be considered
when discussing performance?
Select all that apply.
The employee states, "I have to work so that we can have insurance coverage
for our disabled child."
The employee has been tardy on one occasion when an unexpected snow fell
just before shift change.
The employee was involved in a motor vehicle accident last fall.
The employee found a purse containing $200 in the cafeteria and turned it in to
security.
10.The employee made two work errors requiring incident reports in the last
year. - ANSWER Correct Answer: 2,4,5
with Elaborate Answers Latest
Edition
1. When is high sensitivity needed? - ANSWER when early treatment is
important and when identification of every case is important
2. When is high specificity needed? - ANSWER When rescreening is
impractical and when it is important to reduce false-positives
3. The nurse manager is reviewing the current staff to determine who should
precept a newly licensed nurse. Which nurse is the most logical choice?
A. A nurse who needs the temporary pay increase that accompanies
precepting.
B. A nurse who is clinically competent and has the desire to assume the
responsibility to train new staff.
C. A nurse who has expressed the desire for additional training and unit
responsibilities
D. The nurse who needs to work and 8-hour schedule for a few weeks
while recovering from a work-related accident. - ANSWER Correct
Answer: 2
Rationale 1: The preceptor role may offer a financial incentive, but this is not
sufficient reason to choose this nurse.
Rationale 2: Clinical competence and concern for effective orientation of new
nurses are critical attributes for the preceptor.
Rationale 3: While precepting will be an additional unit responsibility, the focus
is on orienting the new nurse, not on increasing a staff nurse's skills.
Rationale 4: Preceptorship may or may not be based on an 8-hour schedule.
Also, a nurse recovering from an accident may not have the focus and energy
necessary for precepting.
,4. After the second week of orientation the new nurse witnesses the death of a
child in the ED. Which role should this nurse's preceptor focus on at this
time?
A. Orientation of the nurse to protocols associated with this death.
B. Socialization of the nurse to the staff.
C. Counseling the new nurse.
D. Serving as a role model. - ANSWER Correct Answer: 3
Rationale 1: The new nurse should be oriented to protocols, but this is not the
most important role at this time.
Rationale 2: The new nurse should be socialized to the staff, but this is not the
most important role at this time.
Rationale 3: In this situation the most important role is counseling.
Rationale 4: The preceptor should always act as a role model for the new nurse,
but this is not the most important role at this time.
5. A nurse manager wishes to use a model of job performance to help match
employees and tasks to achieve the greatest effectiveness. What should the
manager do first?
A. Evaluate each employee's education and experiential background
B. Establish, in writing, the expectations of each task
C. Consider how much variation from standard is acceptable.
D. Review unit statistics for incidents, errors, and accidents. - ANSWER
Correct Answer: 2
Rationale 1: This evaluation is not the first step of this process.
Rationale 2: In order to know which employee can do the task, a description of
how the task looks when it is done correctly must be established.
Rationale 3: Variation from standard cannot be assessed until the acceptable
standard is established.
Rationale 4: Using a job performance model focuses on specific individuals, not
unit wide statistics.
,6. The nursing administration has instituted a "horizontal promotion" system
within the nursing department. What benefit is this program to the staff
nurse?
A. The most competent nurses will rise to managerial positions.
B. It rewards the nurse's clinical excellence.
C. Over time the nurse will move steadily upward through the levels.
D. The process is practice based rather than research based. - ANSWER
Correct Answer: 2
Rationale 1: In horizontal promotion, the system rewards clinical excellence by
moving clinically superb nurses upward on a clinical ladder, but they remain at
the bedside.
Rationale 2: Horizontal promotion is a reward for clinical excellence.
Rationale 3: This promotion process is based upon the nurse's clinical
excellence, not longevity.
Rationale 4: The process is based on Patricia Benner's novice-to-expert
concepts.
7. An experienced nurse often answers less experienced nurses' questions about
client care and teaches hemodynamics during orientation to the unit. The
nurse has also participated in research into hemodynamic monitoring of ICU
clients. Which clinical ladder designation does this nurse best exemplify?
A. Clinical colleague
B. Clinical mentor
C. Clinical leader
D. Clinical expert - ANSWER Correct Answer: 4
Rationale 1: Clinical colleagues are full partners in care, but do not teach or do
research.
Rationale 2: A clinical mentor demonstrates preceptor abilities.
Rationale 3: A clinical leader demonstrates leadership in practice.
Rationale 4: The clinical expert combines teaching and research with practice.
, 8. A nurse manager is investigating the application of the principles of equity
theory to rewarding staff. Which options are rewards that the manager could
influence?
Select all that apply.
A. 1. Job satisfaction
B. Prestige
C. Pay
D. Ability
E. Effort - ANSWER Correct Answer: 1,2
Rationale 1: Job satisfaction is a reward that the manager could influence.
Rationale 2: The prestige associated with a job is a reward the manager could
influence.
Rationale 3: Pay is a reward the manager could influence.
Rationale 4: Ability is typically seen as a contribution to the job by the
employee.
Rationale 5: Effort is a job contribution by the employee.
9. Which findings associated with an employee are likely to be considered
when discussing performance?
Select all that apply.
The employee states, "I have to work so that we can have insurance coverage
for our disabled child."
The employee has been tardy on one occasion when an unexpected snow fell
just before shift change.
The employee was involved in a motor vehicle accident last fall.
The employee found a purse containing $200 in the cafeteria and turned it in to
security.
10.The employee made two work errors requiring incident reports in the last
year. - ANSWER Correct Answer: 2,4,5
