NURS 6053 – INTERPROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONAL AND
SYSTEMS LEADERSHIP (QUARTER 3: 11-WEEK)
Each question includes the correct answer and a rationale in italics.
Section 1: Interprofessional Collaboration & Team Dynamics
(Q1–30)
1. A nurse leader is forming an interprofessional team to reduce hospital readmissions.
Which first step best promotes effective collaboration?
a) Assign roles based on job descriptions
b) Develop a shared mission and ground rules
c) Schedule weekly meetings immediately
d) Require physician approval for all decisions
Answer: b
Rationale: A shared mission and ground rules align team efforts, build trust, and clarify
expectations before diving into tasks.
2. During a team meeting, the pharmacist disagrees with the nurse’s discharge teaching
plan. Using conflict-resolution principles, the leader should:
a) Side with the pharmacist to maintain hierarchy
b) Table the discussion until the physician arrives
c) Facilitate open dialogue focused on patient safety
d) Ask both to submit written arguments separately
Answer: c
Rationale: Open dialogue focused on patient safety encourages respectful debate and
evidence-based solutions without personal conflict.
,3. Which behavior is a hallmark of high-performing interprofessional teams?
a) Avoiding disagreements to preserve harmony
b) Rotating leadership based on expertise for each agenda item
c) Requiring all decisions be unanimous
d) Limiting input from disciplines with less patient contact
Answer: b
Rationale: Adaptive, situational leadership draws on the unique expertise of each team
member, improving decision quality.
4. A social worker feels their input is ignored by physicians. The nurse leader should:
a) Tell the social worker to speak louder
b) Reframe the social worker’s concerns in team huddles
c) Remove the social worker from the team
d) Schedule separate meetings for non-physicians
Answer: b
Rationale: Reframing ensures all voices are heard and valued, reinforcing psychological
safety and interprofessional respect.
5. Which communication tool is most effective for structured handoffs between shifts
and professions?
a) SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation)
b) CUS (Concerned, Uncomfortable, Safety)
c) A single patient summary email
d) Informal hallway updates
Answer: a
Rationale: SBAR standardizes information transfer, reducing omissions and errors across
disciplines.
6. An interprofessional rounds process is failing due to lack of attendance. The systems
leader should first:
,a) Mandate attendance with penalties
b) Survey team members to identify barriers
c) Cancel rounds and replace with email updates
d) Invite upper management to observe
Answer: b
Rationale: Understanding root causes (e.g., timing, value, workload) allows targeted
system improvement rather than punitive measures.
7. Which model explicitly defines roles, goals, and procedures before a team begins
work?
a) Transformational leadership
b) TeamSTEPPS
c) Situational leadership II
d) Shared governance
Answer: b
Rationale: TeamSTEPPS includes a “Teamwork Actions” phase where teams establish
mutual support, communication, and leadership structures.
8. A nurse leader notices an occupational therapist rarely speaks in meetings. The best
action is to:
a) Call on the OT directly for their opinion
b) Ignore it, assuming they have nothing to add
c) Assign the OT a specific task related to their expertise
d) Discuss privately whether they feel safe contributing
Answer: d
Rationale: Psychological safety must be assessed privately first; direct public questioning
may increase anxiety.
9. Interprofessional collaboration has been shown to directly improve:
a) Physician billing amounts
, b) Length of stay and readmission rates
c) Number of medications prescribed
d) Nursing overtime hours
Answer: b
Rationale: Strong evidence links IP teamwork to reduced LOS, lower readmissions, and
better patient outcomes.
10. A team leader uses “briefs,” “huddles,” and “debriefs.” This structure comes from:
a) Six Sigma
b) Lean methodology
c) TeamSTEPPS
d) SWOT analysis
Answer: c
Rationale: TeamSTEPPS emphasizes these three tools to enhance communication,
planning, and learning.
11. During a debrief after a rapid response, the team identifies a delay in calling the
attending. The systems leader should focus on:
a) Disciplining the nurse who delayed
b) Reviewing the chain of command policy
c) Redesigning the escalation protocol and removing barriers
d) Requiring attendings to carry only one pager
Answer: c
Rationale: Systems thinking addresses process flaws, not individual blame, to prevent
recurrence.
12. Which of the following best describes horizontal leadership in interprofessional
teams?
a) One permanent team leader with final authority
b) Leadership shifts depending on the clinical situation
SYSTEMS LEADERSHIP (QUARTER 3: 11-WEEK)
Each question includes the correct answer and a rationale in italics.
Section 1: Interprofessional Collaboration & Team Dynamics
(Q1–30)
1. A nurse leader is forming an interprofessional team to reduce hospital readmissions.
Which first step best promotes effective collaboration?
a) Assign roles based on job descriptions
b) Develop a shared mission and ground rules
c) Schedule weekly meetings immediately
d) Require physician approval for all decisions
Answer: b
Rationale: A shared mission and ground rules align team efforts, build trust, and clarify
expectations before diving into tasks.
2. During a team meeting, the pharmacist disagrees with the nurse’s discharge teaching
plan. Using conflict-resolution principles, the leader should:
a) Side with the pharmacist to maintain hierarchy
b) Table the discussion until the physician arrives
c) Facilitate open dialogue focused on patient safety
d) Ask both to submit written arguments separately
Answer: c
Rationale: Open dialogue focused on patient safety encourages respectful debate and
evidence-based solutions without personal conflict.
,3. Which behavior is a hallmark of high-performing interprofessional teams?
a) Avoiding disagreements to preserve harmony
b) Rotating leadership based on expertise for each agenda item
c) Requiring all decisions be unanimous
d) Limiting input from disciplines with less patient contact
Answer: b
Rationale: Adaptive, situational leadership draws on the unique expertise of each team
member, improving decision quality.
4. A social worker feels their input is ignored by physicians. The nurse leader should:
a) Tell the social worker to speak louder
b) Reframe the social worker’s concerns in team huddles
c) Remove the social worker from the team
d) Schedule separate meetings for non-physicians
Answer: b
Rationale: Reframing ensures all voices are heard and valued, reinforcing psychological
safety and interprofessional respect.
5. Which communication tool is most effective for structured handoffs between shifts
and professions?
a) SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation)
b) CUS (Concerned, Uncomfortable, Safety)
c) A single patient summary email
d) Informal hallway updates
Answer: a
Rationale: SBAR standardizes information transfer, reducing omissions and errors across
disciplines.
6. An interprofessional rounds process is failing due to lack of attendance. The systems
leader should first:
,a) Mandate attendance with penalties
b) Survey team members to identify barriers
c) Cancel rounds and replace with email updates
d) Invite upper management to observe
Answer: b
Rationale: Understanding root causes (e.g., timing, value, workload) allows targeted
system improvement rather than punitive measures.
7. Which model explicitly defines roles, goals, and procedures before a team begins
work?
a) Transformational leadership
b) TeamSTEPPS
c) Situational leadership II
d) Shared governance
Answer: b
Rationale: TeamSTEPPS includes a “Teamwork Actions” phase where teams establish
mutual support, communication, and leadership structures.
8. A nurse leader notices an occupational therapist rarely speaks in meetings. The best
action is to:
a) Call on the OT directly for their opinion
b) Ignore it, assuming they have nothing to add
c) Assign the OT a specific task related to their expertise
d) Discuss privately whether they feel safe contributing
Answer: d
Rationale: Psychological safety must be assessed privately first; direct public questioning
may increase anxiety.
9. Interprofessional collaboration has been shown to directly improve:
a) Physician billing amounts
, b) Length of stay and readmission rates
c) Number of medications prescribed
d) Nursing overtime hours
Answer: b
Rationale: Strong evidence links IP teamwork to reduced LOS, lower readmissions, and
better patient outcomes.
10. A team leader uses “briefs,” “huddles,” and “debriefs.” This structure comes from:
a) Six Sigma
b) Lean methodology
c) TeamSTEPPS
d) SWOT analysis
Answer: c
Rationale: TeamSTEPPS emphasizes these three tools to enhance communication,
planning, and learning.
11. During a debrief after a rapid response, the team identifies a delay in calling the
attending. The systems leader should focus on:
a) Disciplining the nurse who delayed
b) Reviewing the chain of command policy
c) Redesigning the escalation protocol and removing barriers
d) Requiring attendings to carry only one pager
Answer: c
Rationale: Systems thinking addresses process flaws, not individual blame, to prevent
recurrence.
12. Which of the following best describes horizontal leadership in interprofessional
teams?
a) One permanent team leader with final authority
b) Leadership shifts depending on the clinical situation
