Deck 12: Power, politics, and Influence

Question 1

You have been offered a position as a head nurse in the emergency department.You understand that:

A) You will have stature and power by accepting the position.
B) You will have stature but no power at this point in your position.
C) As a result of your position,you will need to keep much knowledge to yourself.
D) Knowledge is assumed as a result of your position.

Answer 1

You will have stature but no power at this point in your position.

Question 2

A nurse belongs to several professional organizations,serving on a provincial-level committee of one group and on two task forces at work.The nurse is committed to a range of health issues.This nurse exemplifies which level of political activism in nursing?

A) Gladiator.
B) Buy-in.
C) Self-interest.
D) Political sophistication.

Answer 2

Political sophistication.

Question 3

The workgroup on unit NU23 is marked by apathy toward the unit's patients,high rates of absenteeism,open conflict among team members,and high turnover of personnel,including managers.The behaviours in this situation are caused by feelings of:

A) Powerlessness.
B) Anger.
C) Apathy.
D) Oppression.

Answer 3

Powerlessness.

Question 4

Which of the following accurately represents the concept of political activism?

A) Meghan,an emergency room supervisor,encourages staff to write letters to the local health board to protest closure of the emergency room and the loss of 30 full-time jobs.
B) Sarah refuses involvement in her professional organization,but is heavily involved in the Little League organization to which her son belongs.
C) Because of her influential contributions to position papers on health care,Roberta is asked to let her name stand for election as chair of the local organization of gerontology nurse practitioners,who are lobbying for increased certification standards.
D) Sondra volunteers to run for office with her professional nursing association because of her concern about the underrepresentation of expertise from her area of nursing practice.

Question 5

Tomas,a new RN,is finding it difficult to practice because he is encountering,on a daily basis,differences between his learned ideals and what he is witnessing as nursing practice on the unit.This situation is an example of:

A) The theory-to-practice gap.
B) Transition shock.
C) An inadequately prepared nurse.
D) Ethical distress.

Question 6

During a unit meeting you notice that the unit manager,Vivian,presents the current scheduling problems and listens attentively when Yoon,an RN,is speaking,and offers support and advice when Yoon presents new ideas to the group that may alleviate current scheduling problems.You are surprised because Vivian has often confided that she does not like Yoon.Vivian's behaviour is best described as:

A) Insincere.
B) Networking.
C) Politically sophisticated.
D) Facilitating participatory decision-making.

Question 7

A nurse manager is encountering poor staff morale on her unit.While participating in a baccalaureate course the nurse manager learned that one of the reasons nurses lack power today is probably because of the past.In the early decades of the profession,nurses lacked power because:

A) Nurses freely chose to defer to physicians and administrators with more education.
B) Women were not socialized to exert power.
C) The first nursing licensure laws prohibited nurses from making most decisions.
D) Nurses astutely recognized the risks of grabbing too much power too soon.

Question 8

During orientation of new nurse managers,the chief nursing officer stresses strategies that help nurse managers to achieve a powerful image.Which groups of behaviours best contribute to a powerful image for the nurse manager?

A) Greeting patients,families,and colleagues with a handshake and a smile; listening carefully when problems arise.
B) For men,no facial hair,always wearing a suit and tie; for women,always wearing a suit and high-heeled shoes.
C) Maintaining a soft voice during times of conflict; making unbroken eye contact during interactions.
D) Smiling all the time; always wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase; for women,wearing no jewellery.

Question 9

Amy has worked in the dialysis unit on staff for about 12 years.She is frequently consulted by other nursing staff about protocols and policies on the unit.What type of power is Amy using?

A) Position power.
B) Expert power.
C) Personal power.
D) Competency power.

Question 10

A unit manager watches a new RN graduate interacting with a patient.When the RN comes out of the room,the unit manager says,"I don't know what they taught you in your nursing program,but if I see you do that again I will write you up." This example demonstrates an inappropriate use of which type of power?

A) Position.
B) Expert.
C) Personal.
D) Professional.

Question 11

A nurse manager must implement a 2% budget cut on the nursing unit.Which approach should the manager use to empower the staff of the unit most effectively?

A) Discuss the guidelines for the budget cuts with the staff,making the decisions with those who participate in the discussion.
B) Inform the staff of the budget cuts in a series of small group meetings,and accept their ideas in writing only.
C) Provide the staff with handouts about the budget cuts,and let them make recommendations in writing.
D) Hold a series of mandatory meetings on the budget cuts,asking staff for ideas on the cuts.

Question 12

Nurses who engage in infighting seek physician support against nursing colleagues,and avoid membership in nursing organizations:

A) Refuse to believe that they are acting like members of groups that suffer socioeconomic oppression.
B) Do not understand how their failure to exercise power can limit the power of the whole profession.
C) Purposefully choose to exercise their power in the workplace through indirect means.
D) Suffer from learned helplessness as a result of abuse by powerful nurse executives.

Question 13

A staff nurse asks the nurse manager for a few days off for personal reasons.The nurse manager turns in the request to the human resources office with a note indicating that the staff nurse has demonstrated excellent working skills and is a valued employee.The nurse manager has used the influence of her position to help this staff member.Influence is the process of:

A) Using power.
B) Empowering others.
C) Understanding power.
D) Moving past apathy.

Question 14

The institution in which you are a nurse manager has resisted the adoption of new document management software,citing cost as a concern.You meet with other nurse managers who are in favour of the software and prepare a proposal to take to the senior executive with the goal of persuading the executive to adopt the software.This is an example of:

A) Collaboration.
B) A coalition.
C) Networking.
D) Policy building.

Question 15

A nurse manager recognizes the need to expand her professional network as she begins a job search for a middle-management position.Which of the following actions is least likely to expand her job-searching network?

A) Reviewing her address book or card file for names and phone numbers of former colleagues who are now in middle-management positions.
B) Making an appointment to meet with a former instructor from her graduate program in nursing administration.
C) Making a long overdue return call to a former colleague who is now a chief nurse executive.
D) Attending a state-level conference for nurse managers and executives and attending informal luncheons and receptions.

Question 16

A manager relies on his director of nursing (immediate supervisor)for advice about enrolling in graduate school to prepare for a career as a nurse executive.The director may exercise what kinds of power in the relationship with the manager in this advisory situation?

A) Expert,coercive,and referent.
B) Reward,connection,and information.
C) Perceived,expert,and connection.
D) Reward,referent,and connection.

Question 17

Which of the following interactions is most consistent with the idea of networking?

A) Meeting with the same colleagues daily to have coffee and to share concerns about the workplace and stories about colleagues.
B) Joining an online workplace forum to gain ideas about how to handle workplace conflict.
C) Suggesting that you and a new team member meet after work for coffee to review unit guidelines.
D) Joining a nurse executive informal lunch meeting to meet other executives for support and for sharing ideas of expertise.

Question 18

One day,at coffee,your coworker suggests that you and she sit with unit members of the hospital research committee.She suggests that this would be an excellent way to get to know people who share her interest in research.Her actions are an example of:

A) Mentorship.
B) Politics.
C) Networking.
D) Empowerment.

Question 19

Despite repeated invitations by his colleagues to become involved in regional and provincial nursing practice committees,Tom refuses.His reason is that "nursing committees rarely get anything worthwhile done because of politics and conflicts." According to the political activism model,Tom's view of involvement:

A) Is rare in nursing today.
B) Reflects a fear of power.
C) Reflects apathy.
D) Reflects empowerment and capacity to make his own decisions.

Question 20

Which of the following is an important component of demonstrating a positive professional attitude?

A) Knowledge.
B) Negotiation skills.
C) Powerful image.
D) Position power.

Question 21

Judy,a recent graduate nurse was hired in a busy hospital emergency room.Although she had completed one rotation in an emergency room as a student,she was now feeling overwhelmed and lacking self-confidence.Her preceptor,an experienced nurse,was critical of her performance and frequently found fault with Judy's patient care,causing Judy's self-confident to further decline.Judy determined she needed to change the situation.Which of the following is the best approach for her to take? (Select all that apply.)

A) Seeking a leader with empowering behaviours to be a mentor.
B) Accessing support to fulfill one's job responsibilities.
C) Accessing organizational empowerment structures.
D) Advocating for enhanced orientation processes to include workplace violence.

Question 22

Charmaine,an RN in the emergency department,would like to pursue leadership roles in her career.She is frustrated that her coworkers seem to pay little attention to her creative ideas or place her in informal leadership positions.As her colleague,you want to provide her with helpful feedback.Which of the following statements will provide feedback as to how she might communicate power and demonstrate that she is capable of handling other leadership responsibilities?

A) "I find your soft voice and manners very reassuring and calming to patients."
B) "Try using a wider vocabulary and big words so that people will think that you are knowledgeable."
C) "At times,you tend to slump and avoid eye contact when you are talking with colleagues and families."
D) "Don't worry about what others think of you.If you feel like saying something,say it,even if it hurts other people's feelings."

Question 23

Researchers have been able to gain policymaker attention through which of the following? (Select all that apply.)

A) Creating a sense of urgency.
B) Assuming good data will lead to good policy.
C) Packaging of evidence.
D) Working with coalitions.

Question 24

Laura Eggertson's (2011)research highlighted staggering statistics related to nurse bullying,ranging from 44% to as high as 95%.The two most recommended approaches to this issue were? (Select all that apply.)

A) Creating empowering work environments
B) Coaching and mentoring nurses on how to value and respect one another
C) Creating online curriculum related to bullying
D) Supervisors acting immediately if nurses report bullying