Exam 17: Staffing and Scheduling

The nurse manager of a postsurgical unit is preparing the next month's schedule. The manager has reviewed the surgery schedule for the corresponding month and notes there are several high-acuity surgeries. Which staffing adjustment would the manager make to best provide the care needed by these postoperative clients?

The nurse manager is explaining her staffing budget to the hospital administration. The manager has developed a flexible staffing pattern. The administration questions the manager as to why this pattern was developed. Which answer is most correct?

A unit requires a great deal of staffing flexibility. To fill this need, the manager should use which strategy?

Which group determines the level of nursing care and hours of care necessary to meet the needs of the hospitalized client?

A nursing supervisor is setting up a new unit and must make a blanket decision about whether the unit will be staffed on 12-hour shifts or 8-hour shifts. What should this supervisor keep in mind when making this decision?

The hospital is caring for more high-acuity clients due to the recent flu endemic. The chief nurse officer (CNO) reviews the census from last year's flu season and instructs the manager to schedule more RNs for the weekend. Which system has the CNO used?

A nurse has agreed to work on the Baylor plan. The nurse should arrange day care for which shifts? Note: Credit will be given only if all correct choices and no incorrect choices are selected. Select all that apply.

The nursing staff of a medical-surgical unit would like to work four 10-hour shifts each week. For which reason would the unit nurse manager probably deny this request?

The OB manager is looking at staffing for the night shift. The postpartum unit is busy and the labor-delivery unit has four clients in labor. The manager collects data from the nursing staff regarding the acuity of their clients. These data assist the manager in determining the staff for the next shift. This is an example of which type of system?

An emergency department manager is looking over the next month's schedule and decides to supplement the schedule due to vacations. The manager decides to use decentralized pool staffing to lower costs and provide quality care. Which group of nurses is a part of this manager's decentralized staffing?

The medical-surgical unit's census has decreased since the previous shift. The manager is reviewing the staffing grid. Which factor is used to determine staffing mix?

Two nurses have agreed to share a schedule in which each will work 4 hours each day for a total of 20 hours a week. In 2 weeks, ________ FTEs will be generated by these nurses.

A newly hired nurse manager is being mentored in this new role. How should the mentor advise this manager regarding staffing for the next shift?

The hospital has elected to use the demand management staffing system instead of the client classification system. Because of this decision, the nurse manager who is staffing must focus on which of the following?

The unit has open shifts even after staff members have signed up for overtime. The chief nurse officer (CNO) does not want to hire agency nurses to cover these shifts. The nurse manager does not understand why the CNO is offering staff an incentive versus hiring agency nurses. Which would be a reasonable conclusion?

An acute care nursing unit has determined that an acuity level III client requires 6 hours of nursing care per shift while a level IV client requires 8 hours. Today the unit has seven level III clients and nine level IV clients. The manager should staff for ________ hours of nursing care for the next shift.

A new nurse manager asks to see the Joint Commission manual in order to determine adequate staffing for the next shift. How should the supervisor respond to this request?

A critical care nurse has reported off because of an illness. Which choice of replacement for this nurse would provide the best continuity of quality nursing care?

The manager has appointed a nurse to complete staffing. The nurse knows that the goal of staffing is to provide what?

The administration of a healthcare organization has proposed a new client care area staffing system. Which components of this system do not meet the American Nurses Association (ANA) requirements? Note: Credit will be given only if all correct choices and no incorrect choices are selected. Select all that apply.