UNMC COMPREHENSIVE EXAM
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS PACK
2026
▶ Clinical Pathways. Answer: The tool that case managers use to achieve
patient outcomes is a critical pathway. Also referred to as a
multidisciplinary care pathway, integrated care pathway, critical path, or
collaborative care pathway, these patient-focused documents describe the
clinical standards, necessary interventions, and expected outcomes for the
patient throughout the treatment process or hospital stay. These pathways
facilitate coordinated and efficient plans to deliver patient care. However,
they are not appropriate for all patients and cannot replace professional
clinical judgment. If a patient's progress deviates from the normal path, a
variance is indicated. A variance is anything that occurs to alter the
patient's progress through the normal critical path. The reason(s) for the
variance should be analyzed and the care revised to meet the needs of the
patients. These reasons may be influenced by patient, provider, or care
issues. For example, if a given medication schedule is disrupted because
of the patient's absence from the unit, an untoward reaction to the
medication, or a change in priority care focus (as in respiratory distress),
the progress of the critical pathway is disrupted. Case management
provides a well-coordinated care experience that can improve the care
outcome, decrease the length of stay, and use multiple disciplines and
services efficiently. Families and patients receive care across a continuum
of settings, often from diverse institutions. Nurses who are case managers,
referred to as NCMs, often are assigned to patients who have a medical
issue that requires coordination of care. Nurses in this role receive a sense
of satisfaction knowing that the patient and family received coordinated,
quality care in a cost-effective manner across the spectrum of the illness or
injury. To implement this approach effectively, in
▶ Attributes of effective Teams. Answer: Goals-objective is understood
and supported
Contributions-all contribute to discussion
Environment-informal, comfortable, relaxed
, Leadership-shared, determined by expertise
Assignments-clearly stated, assigned, accepted
Listening-attentively, each member heard
Conflict-comfortable and no avoidance of conflict
Decision Making-agreement reached by consensus
Self Evaluation-Conscious of own contributions
▶ Group Vs Team. Answer: One definition of group is a number of
individuals assembled together or having some unifying relationship. In
groups, performance and outcomes are a result of the work of individual
group members. Groups could be all the parents in an elementary school,
all the members of a specific church, or all the students in a school of
nursing, because the members of these various groups are related in some
way to one another by definition of their involvement in a certain endeavor.
A team, on the other hand, is a number of individuals collaborating in
specific work or activity that focuses on a specific goal or outcome. Not
every group is a team, and not every team is effective.
▶ Leadership. Answer: the use of individual traits & abilities, in relationship
with others, to interpret the environment/context where a situation is
emerging and enter that situation without the use of predesigned plan.
▶ Management. Answer: Requires determining routines and practices that
offer structure and stability to others.
▶ Followership. Answer: Each group member contributes optimally in
tandem with other group members to achieve clinical or organizational
outcomes.
▶ Types of Followers. Answer: effective-active, independent, critical
thinking
alienated-passive, independent, critical thinking
sheep-passive, dependent, uncritical thinking
"yes people"-active, dependent, uncritical thinking
survivor-all four
▶ Emotional Intelligence. Answer: the ability to perceive, understand,
manage, and use emotions
self awareness, self regulation, motivation, empathy, social skills
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS PACK
2026
▶ Clinical Pathways. Answer: The tool that case managers use to achieve
patient outcomes is a critical pathway. Also referred to as a
multidisciplinary care pathway, integrated care pathway, critical path, or
collaborative care pathway, these patient-focused documents describe the
clinical standards, necessary interventions, and expected outcomes for the
patient throughout the treatment process or hospital stay. These pathways
facilitate coordinated and efficient plans to deliver patient care. However,
they are not appropriate for all patients and cannot replace professional
clinical judgment. If a patient's progress deviates from the normal path, a
variance is indicated. A variance is anything that occurs to alter the
patient's progress through the normal critical path. The reason(s) for the
variance should be analyzed and the care revised to meet the needs of the
patients. These reasons may be influenced by patient, provider, or care
issues. For example, if a given medication schedule is disrupted because
of the patient's absence from the unit, an untoward reaction to the
medication, or a change in priority care focus (as in respiratory distress),
the progress of the critical pathway is disrupted. Case management
provides a well-coordinated care experience that can improve the care
outcome, decrease the length of stay, and use multiple disciplines and
services efficiently. Families and patients receive care across a continuum
of settings, often from diverse institutions. Nurses who are case managers,
referred to as NCMs, often are assigned to patients who have a medical
issue that requires coordination of care. Nurses in this role receive a sense
of satisfaction knowing that the patient and family received coordinated,
quality care in a cost-effective manner across the spectrum of the illness or
injury. To implement this approach effectively, in
▶ Attributes of effective Teams. Answer: Goals-objective is understood
and supported
Contributions-all contribute to discussion
Environment-informal, comfortable, relaxed
, Leadership-shared, determined by expertise
Assignments-clearly stated, assigned, accepted
Listening-attentively, each member heard
Conflict-comfortable and no avoidance of conflict
Decision Making-agreement reached by consensus
Self Evaluation-Conscious of own contributions
▶ Group Vs Team. Answer: One definition of group is a number of
individuals assembled together or having some unifying relationship. In
groups, performance and outcomes are a result of the work of individual
group members. Groups could be all the parents in an elementary school,
all the members of a specific church, or all the students in a school of
nursing, because the members of these various groups are related in some
way to one another by definition of their involvement in a certain endeavor.
A team, on the other hand, is a number of individuals collaborating in
specific work or activity that focuses on a specific goal or outcome. Not
every group is a team, and not every team is effective.
▶ Leadership. Answer: the use of individual traits & abilities, in relationship
with others, to interpret the environment/context where a situation is
emerging and enter that situation without the use of predesigned plan.
▶ Management. Answer: Requires determining routines and practices that
offer structure and stability to others.
▶ Followership. Answer: Each group member contributes optimally in
tandem with other group members to achieve clinical or organizational
outcomes.
▶ Types of Followers. Answer: effective-active, independent, critical
thinking
alienated-passive, independent, critical thinking
sheep-passive, dependent, uncritical thinking
"yes people"-active, dependent, uncritical thinking
survivor-all four
▶ Emotional Intelligence. Answer: the ability to perceive, understand,
manage, and use emotions
self awareness, self regulation, motivation, empathy, social skills
