Deck 10: Communicating Effectively

Question 1

The staff nurse is unsure of the correct protocol for calling in sick to work. The nursing supervisor told the nurse to call the nursing office; however, the nurse manager told the nurse to call the unit. This issue is likely the result of which distorted communication?

A) Intersender conflict
B) Intrasender conflict
C) Metacommunication
D) Downward communication

Answer 1

Intersender conflict

Question 2

The nurse manager has determined that two staff nurses need to be hired. Which factor is most critical as the nurse manager prepares to submit the request to administration?

A) Timing of the request
B) Negative inquiry
C) Compromise
D) Persistence

Answer 2

Timing of the request

Question 3

The staff nurse would like to improve personal communication with peers, patients, and the medical staff. Which strategy would be most effective for this nurse?

A) Plan to be more assertive in all communication.
B) Work to manage fear of conflict.
C) First learn to delegate clearly to others.
D) Attend the hospital-based communication training.

Answer 3

Attend the hospital-based communication training.

Question 4

Which example represents a qualifier that may interfere with the message being communicated?

A) "Please notify me when this task is complete."
B) "Are you satisfied with the care you are receiving?"
C) "I hate to bother you with this, but we have a problem."
D) "How can I help you solve your issues with this physician?"

Question 5

The nurse manager has instituted a policy of sending information to the staff in emails. Many misunderstandings have occurred since this policy was implemented. What technique should the manager use to reduce this miscommunication?

A) Use text messaging instead of email.
B) Require a return email from everyone reading the information.
C) Be certain that emails go only to the intended recipients.
D) Send all emails with a message line that says "Important."

Question 6

When the nurse manager orders supplies for the unit, which communication mode is best?

A) Telephone
B) Email
C) In person
D) Voice mail

Question 7

A nurse has made several "near errors" in client care in the last 2 months. The nurse manager says, "These are simple errors. You just aren't listening." How could the nurse improve listening skills in this situation? Note: Credit will be given only if all correct choices and no incorrect choices are selected. Select all that apply.

A) The nurse should try to think ahead about what the person talking is going to say.
B) The nurse should hold eye contact with the speaker at all times.
C) When listening to instructions, the nurse should ask anyone who interrupts to wait a moment.
D) The nurse should get sufficient time away from work to rest.
E) The nurse should be careful not to prejudge what the speaker is going to say.

Question 8

What is the most important reason that excellent communication skills are essential for nurses?

A) Nurses must communicate with all disciplines.
B) All nursing activities occur in relationships.
C) Interpersonal skills get the work done.
D) Good communication ensures no problems occur.

Question 9

In which situation should the nurse be most concerned that communication was distorted?

A) The nurse obtains an admission history from the parents of an adopted child.
B) The nurse gives discharge instructions to a couple in their early 80s.
C) The nurse manager hires a new nurse originally from the Philippines.
D) The emergency nurse receives a confused client who was transferred in an ambulance.

Question 10

The person who has just been promoted to nurse manager is male. If this nurse communicates in a way that is considered typical for men, what can the staff expect?

A) He will focus more on the issue than on personal experience.
B) He will strive to reach consensus within the group.
C) He will strive to avoid conflict within the group.
D) He will prefer to ask questions rather than make statements.

Question 11

The nurse manager is counseling a male nurse about several recent incidents in which female nurses complained that he was abrupt and condescending. What advice should the manager give this nurse?

A) "Make sure that anything you say is clear and concise."
B) "Don't feel as if you are responsible for fixing every problem."
C) "Avoid using phrases such as 'sort of' when talking to females."
D) "Don't personalize everything."

Question 12

During an evaluation conference, the nurse manager observes nonverbal messages, including nodding in agreement and smiling. These behaviors are examples of which aspect of communication?

A) Metacommunication
B) Intrasender conflict
C) Fogging
D) Intersender conflict

Question 13

An inexperienced speaker is practicing delivering a speech. Which statement indicates a lack of understanding about how easily communication is distorted?

A) "I know I can better connect with my audience with good eye contact."
B) "If I repeat a complicated section in another way, comprehension is improved."
C) "If I know the background of the audience, it can help with tailoring the content."
D) "The topic is not complicated, so I don't have to worry about misunderstanding."

Question 14

An employee is sabotaging the work of a newly oriented charge nurse, and the charge nurse has not been successful in addressing the problem. When the nurse manager addresses the issue, which is the most appropriate statement?

A) "I know it must be frustrating working with a new charge nurse, but how can we make this situation better?"
B) "This is not professional behavior, and you need to stop it or you will lose your job the next time I hear about it."
C) "I know the charge nurse is new to the role, but you should get used to it or there will be more changes."
D) "I know the new charge nurse is difficult to work with, but please help make the job easier to do."

Question 15

The nurse has been concentrating on improving personal communication skills. Which option represents the final step in this nurse's work to improve communication?

A) Think about the goals of the communication.
B) Develop an appropriate and thoughtful response.
C) Decide how to say what you want conveyed.
D) Ensure the communication is understood.

Question 16

A problem has arisen on a unit with primarily Generation X nursing staff. Which strategies should the nurse manager employ to get staff input into solving this problem? Note: Credit will be given only if all correct choices and no incorrect choices are selected. Select all that apply.

A) Schedule a staff meeting for discussion of the problem and its possible solutions.
B) Post a notice on the bulletin board explaining the issue.
C) Ask nurses individually for input.
D) Develop a possible solution and share it with nurses in a formal meeting.
E) Ask for input in text message and promise to respond to texts immediately.

Question 17

After several near-incidents during procedures, the nurse manager is increasingly concerned about how nursing staff members communicate with physician staff. Which advice from the manager would be most beneficial to the nursing staff?

A) "Don't forget, you are just as good as they are."
B) "Physicians just don't listen as well as nurses."
C) "Let's review the steps of the procedures that we know are the biggest problems."
D) "I'm going to listen to the physicians, but I think most of the problem is with the physicians, not the nurses."

Question 18

The nurse manager is concerned about a family member's complaint regarding the professional behavior of a nurse on the unit. Which is the most effective method to address this issue?

A) Post a memo to the nursing staff about expected professional behavior.
B) Send an email to the nursing staff about expected professional behavior.
C) Address the complaint with the individual nurse in a telephone conversation.
D) Discuss the complaint with the individual nurse face-to-face.

Question 19

The hospital chief operating officer holds monthly focus groups with the purpose of gaining ideas and insights from nursing administration and staff nurses. Which type of communication does this indicate?

A) Lateral communication
B) Downward communication
C) Diagonal communication
D) Grapevine communication

Question 20

A nurse plans to seek employment in an acute-care setting after graduation. Which form of communication would be most effective in applying for a position?

A) Send an email to the nurse manager, requesting a job interview.
B) Send a written letter and résumé in the mail.
C) Call the nurse manager to ask if any jobs are open.
D) Drop into the nurse manager's office to discuss employment options.

Question 21

The nursing supervisor is planning an education session on collaborative communication between nurses and physicians. Which topics should be on this agenda? Note: Credit will be given only if all correct choices and no incorrect choices are selected. Select all that apply.

A) Interdisciplinary respect
B) Understanding the role of the physician
C) Understanding the role of the nurse
D) Communication across disciplines
E) Active listening skills

Question 22

A nurse manager is aware that there is a strong "grapevine" communication system on the unit. The manager elects to use this grapevine to distribute information about an upcoming change in unit policy. In making this decision, the manager should consider which possibilities? Note: Credit will be given only if all correct choices and no incorrect choices are selected. Select all that apply.

A) The information may be rapidly disseminated.
B) The information may be altered as it moves across the grapevine.
C) Most people try to spread information accurately.
D) Most people do not pay any attention to the grapevine.
E) Professional nurses do not participate in grapevine communication.

Question 23

In the morning care conference, the nurse instructs the assistant to feed breakfast to the clients in beds 2234, 2230, and 2241. The assistant indicates understanding of the assignment and repeats the bed numbers back to the nurse. What is the nurse's next step?

A) Check with the assistant to see how the assignment is going during the time breakfast is served.
B) Check the client's breakfast trays before they are returned to dietary.
C) Check with the clients to see if they had breakfast.
D) At the end of the shift, ask the assistant how the clients ate.

Question 24

The nurse manager works at a rural hospital and is in charge of a medical unit. Another nurse manager is in charge of the adjacent surgical unit. Equipment is shared between the two units. The surgical unit manager frequently confronts and intimidates the manager of the medical unit regarding the use of the equipment. Which strategies could the manager of the medical unit use to generate feelings of personal power? Note: Credit will be given only if all correct choices and not incorrect choices are selected. Select all that apply.

A) Body language
B) Power plays
C) Arguing
D) Word choices
E) Listening

Question 25

The nurse is always intimidated when asking a physician to clarify orders. Which statements should the nurse use to help counteract this feeling? Note: Credit will be given only if all correct choices and no incorrect choices are selected. Select all that apply.

A) "I'm sorry, doctor, but I need for you to repeat the dosage on that medication order."
B) "Doctor, what was the dosage on that medication you ordered, and do you want the client up in a chair today?"
C) "How often did you want the furosemide given?"
D) "Uh, can you tell me if you need for this client to be NPO today?"
E) "Doctor, what rate did you want for the IV?"

Question 26

A nurse manager approaches the nursing supervisor with a request for approval to incorporate 12-hour shifts into scheduling. The supervisor denies the request, stating this staffing pattern was used previously with poor outcomes. Which responses by the nurse manager may positively influence the supervisor? Note: Credit will be given only if all correct choices and no incorrect choices are selected. Select all that apply.

A) "I agree it was not effective years ago, but other units have now had success with it."
B) "What were your specific concerns about the 12-hour shifts?"
C) "I think it is unfair to refuse my unit this opportunity based on the past."
D) "Why are you always so opposed to change on my unit?"
E) "If we don't offer alternative staffing patterns, we aren't going to be able to attract new hires."

Question 27

The nurse manager has asked that another staff nurse position be funded for the unit. The supervisor denies the request. Which statements by the manager are examples of negative assertion? Note: Credit will be given only if all correct choices and no incorrect choices are selected. Select all that apply.

A) "I know I haven't been too careful in keeping personnel costs low, but we are really going to need another position."
B) "I don't see why another position cannot be funded. We have met our budget each year for the last 3 years."
C) "I realize that my staff is not always positive about organizational changes, but having this extra staff member might reduce some of their stress."
D) "I can understand what you said about budget being tight, but we still need the position."
E) "Do you not understand how hard my nurses are working?"

Question 28

The nurse manager should be most careful not to hold preconceived beliefs when listening to which person?

A) The hospital administrator discussing next year's budget
B) A staff nurse the manager has worked with for 25 years
C) A newly licensed nurse who is hesitant to address the manager
D) A physician discussing prognosis with the client and family

Question 29

The nurse asks the nurse manager if he can go home early because the census is low. When the request is denied, the nurse states, "I don't understand why I can't leave early. I will use vacation time, and this will help minimize personnel costs for the shift." This statement is an example of which technique of influencing the supervisor?

A) Fogging
B) Negative assertion
C) Negative inquiry
D) Compromise

Question 30

The nurse has a concern regarding the quality of care being provided in the hospital. What should the nurse consider first before communicating this concern?

A) The medium of the message
B) The relationship between the nurse and the receiver of the message
C) The timing of the message
D) What to include in the message

Question 31

A nurse often has difficulty explaining and getting a clear message through to the receiver. Which communication skills will help the nurse to improve communication. Note: Credit will be given only if all correct choices and not incorrect choices are selected. Select all that apply.

A) Check timing
B) Expect respect
C) Consider relationship to receiver
D) Find an interpreter
E) Reply appropriately