HESI LEADERSHIP EXIT EXAM VERSION 1
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. VERIFIED 2026.
| **1. What is the first action a nurse leader should take when two staff
members are in conflict that disrupts the unit?** | Address the conflict
directly with both staff members and mediate in a private setting. |
Direct and private mediation allows the leader to address the issue
promptly, understand both perspectives, and work towards a
resolution, preventing the disruption from affecting patient care or
team morale. |
| **2. A nurse manager notices frequent late documentation by several
staff nurses. What should be the priority response?** | Provide
education on timely documentation and monitor compliance with
charting standards. | The priority is to address the issue through
education and support, reinforcing the importance of timely
documentation for patient safety and legal standards. Monitoring
compliance ensures the education was effective. |
| **3. What should the nurse leader do when a staff nurse expresses
moral distress about following a physician's order they feel is unsafe?**
| Encourage the nurse to advocate for the patient by seeking
clarification with the provider and following the chain of command if
needed. | The nurse leader should support the staff nurse's ethical
, responsibility to advocate for the patient. Seeking clarification is the
first step, and the chain of command exists to resolve conflicts when
patient safety is a concern. |
| **4. When a medication error occurs, what is the first step the nurse
leader should ensure?** | Assess the patient's condition and provide
any necessary immediate interventions. | Patient safety is the highest
priority. Before any investigation or documentation, the nurse leader
must ensure the patient is stable and any potential harm from the error
is addressed immediately. |
| **5. How should a nurse leader address high turnover rates on the
unit?** | Conduct staff satisfaction surveys, identify concerns, and
implement retention strategies. | High turnover is often linked to job
dissatisfaction. A leader must first gather data to understand the root
causes of the dissatisfaction before implementing targeted strategies to
improve staff retention and morale. |
| **6. What is the first action a nurse leader should take when a parent
refuses consent for a life-saving procedure for their child?** | Notify
the healthcare provider and follow legal and ethical guidelines for
emergent care. | In a life-threatening emergency, the healthcare
provider must be notified immediately. The situation may involve legal
and ethical complexities regarding consent that require the provider's
and possibly an ethics committee's involvement. |
| **7. A nurse is performing telephone triage. Which client has the
most acute problem and should be scheduled first?** | A 21-year-old
with a history of kidney transplant reporting flu-like symptoms and a
fever of 100.4°F (38°C). | This client is immunocompromised due to the
kidney transplant. Even mild symptoms like a fever can indicate a
serious, rapidly progressing infection, making them the highest priority.
|
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. VERIFIED 2026.
| **1. What is the first action a nurse leader should take when two staff
members are in conflict that disrupts the unit?** | Address the conflict
directly with both staff members and mediate in a private setting. |
Direct and private mediation allows the leader to address the issue
promptly, understand both perspectives, and work towards a
resolution, preventing the disruption from affecting patient care or
team morale. |
| **2. A nurse manager notices frequent late documentation by several
staff nurses. What should be the priority response?** | Provide
education on timely documentation and monitor compliance with
charting standards. | The priority is to address the issue through
education and support, reinforcing the importance of timely
documentation for patient safety and legal standards. Monitoring
compliance ensures the education was effective. |
| **3. What should the nurse leader do when a staff nurse expresses
moral distress about following a physician's order they feel is unsafe?**
| Encourage the nurse to advocate for the patient by seeking
clarification with the provider and following the chain of command if
needed. | The nurse leader should support the staff nurse's ethical
, responsibility to advocate for the patient. Seeking clarification is the
first step, and the chain of command exists to resolve conflicts when
patient safety is a concern. |
| **4. When a medication error occurs, what is the first step the nurse
leader should ensure?** | Assess the patient's condition and provide
any necessary immediate interventions. | Patient safety is the highest
priority. Before any investigation or documentation, the nurse leader
must ensure the patient is stable and any potential harm from the error
is addressed immediately. |
| **5. How should a nurse leader address high turnover rates on the
unit?** | Conduct staff satisfaction surveys, identify concerns, and
implement retention strategies. | High turnover is often linked to job
dissatisfaction. A leader must first gather data to understand the root
causes of the dissatisfaction before implementing targeted strategies to
improve staff retention and morale. |
| **6. What is the first action a nurse leader should take when a parent
refuses consent for a life-saving procedure for their child?** | Notify
the healthcare provider and follow legal and ethical guidelines for
emergent care. | In a life-threatening emergency, the healthcare
provider must be notified immediately. The situation may involve legal
and ethical complexities regarding consent that require the provider's
and possibly an ethics committee's involvement. |
| **7. A nurse is performing telephone triage. Which client has the
most acute problem and should be scheduled first?** | A 21-year-old
with a history of kidney transplant reporting flu-like symptoms and a
fever of 100.4°F (38°C). | This client is immunocompromised due to the
kidney transplant. Even mild symptoms like a fever can indicate a
serious, rapidly progressing infection, making them the highest priority.
|
