Deck 14: Staffing and Scheduling

Question 1

In a job interview for a staff position,which of the following indicates your knowledge of patient safety?

A)"Will I be able to get overtime hours on your unit?"
B)"If there is an opportunity to work extra shifts, I would really like that."
C)"Is there a strategy in place to reduce the number of overtime hours on the unit?"
D)"I see no reason why I wouldn't be able to work overtime."

Answer 1

"Is there a strategy in place to reduce the number of overtime hours on the unit?"

Question 2

The difference between staffing and scheduling is that staffing:

A)Puts the right person in the right position.
B)Puts the right person in the right time and place.
C)Refers to the number of nursing hours per patient per day.
D)Looks after interpretation of benefits and compensation.

Answer 2

Puts the right person in the right position.

Question 3

Scheduling is a function of implementing the staffing plan by assigning unit personnel to work specific hours and specific days of the week.To retain nursing staff,the nurse manager must schedule:

A)All weekends off.
B)All holidays off.
C)A variety of scheduling options.
D)Rotating shifts.

Answer 3

A variety of scheduling options.

Question 4

A nurse manager uses many sources of data when planning the unit's workload for the year.Which of the following data must be considered in the planning?

A)Hours of operation of the unit
B)Trends in acuity on the unit
C)Maximum work stretch for each employee
D)Weekend requirements

Question 5

A nurse manager must consider a number of external variables when preparing the personnel budget and projecting the unit's staffing needs.An external variable to be considered is:

A)Organizational staffing policies.
B)Staffing models.
C)Changes in services that will be offered.
D)Department of Health licensing standards.

Question 6

In the past year,you have noticed an increase in patient falls on your unit.In reading studies related to staffing and patient outcomes,you realize that you will need to plan for:

A)Higher patient care hours.
B)Safer facilities.
C)Institution of a patient classification system.
D)An increased number of RN positions.

Question 7

The number of adverse events such as falls and pressure ulcers on your unit is increasing.An ideal staffing plan to address this issue would include which of the following? Increasing the:

A)Total number of staff on the unit.
B)Staff and RN hours per patient.
C)Total number of staff, and implementing 12-hour shifts.
D)Number of RNs and number of RNs with experience on the unit.

Question 8

A busy neurologic ICU and step-down unit most likely would use which patient classification system?

A)Factor evaluation
B)Prototype evaluation
C)Hybrid system
D)AHRQ system

Question 9

As the unit manager,you post the staffing plan and compliance reports.This initiative is aimed at:

A)Maintaining unit morale.
B)Complying with national requirements.
C)Demonstrating patient outcomes.
D)Inviting staff participation in decision making.

Question 10

A factor evaluation system:

A)Utilizes financial data to determine number of staff-to-patient ratios.
B)Utilizes DRGs to determine acuity on a unit.
C)Combines interventions and time required for interventions to determine levels of care required.
D)Combines financial resources and nursing interventions to determine patient contact hours.

Question 11

To maintain patient safety,studies suggest that scheduling should avoid:

A)Rotating shifts.
B)Weekends.
C)8-hour shifts.
D)Mandatory overtime.

Question 12

A small rural hospital has been designated as a critical access hospital.It has 40 beds and an average occupancy of 34 beds.To prepare the staffing,the chief nursing officer computes the occupancy as being:

A)90%.
B)85%.
C)75%.
D)60%.

Question 13

A nurse staffing plan takes into account:

A)Specific nurse-to-patient ratios per shift.
B)Participation of nurses in projecting staffing needs.
C)Compensation and benefits for each level of staff.
D)The occupancy load of a unit.

Question 14

To prepare staffing schedules,a nurse manager needs to calculate paid nonproductive time.When calculating paid nonproductive time,the nurse manager considers:

A)Work time, educational time, and holiday time.
B)Paid hours minus worked hours.
C)Vacation time, holiday time, and sick time.
D)Paid hours minus meeting time.

Question 15

A particular classification system assigns revenue according to the functional capacity of patients and the progression of patients during their stay in rehabilitation units.More independent patient activities,such as prompted voiding,require higher staff utilization than dependent activities but do not result in increased staff resources.This is an example of:

A)Bureaucracy.
B)Concern related to the validity of classification systems.
C)Inadequate reliability of classification systems.
D)Inappropriate subjectivity in making judgments about staffing.

Question 16

An important aspect of managing the costs on a unit is to plan accurately for staffing needs.Nurse managers use staffing plans to:

A)Assign staff on the unit on a daily basis.
B)Ensure that days off are planned for the staff.
C)Outline the number of individuals by classification on a per-shift basis.
D)Predict the numbers and classifications of float staff needed to augment regular staff.

Question 17

A strategy to increase RN staff retention at Valley Hospital includes:

A)Better compensation and benefits.
B)Clearer position descriptions.
C)Lay-offs of nursing assistants.
D)Adequate staffing to meet acuity levels.

Question 18

In evaluating weekend mortality rates,the head nurse on the cardiac unit is surprised to find that they are higher than on weekdays.In exploring the reasons for this apparent anomaly,the head nurse focuses on:

A)Availability of diagnostic personnel.
B)Availability of physicians.
C)Communication with on-call providers.
D)Acuity level of patients.

Question 19

Staff members on your unit raise concern that there is rising acuity on the unit and lack of responsiveness in addressing these needs through appropriate staffing.They point to increased incidences of adverse and sentinel events on the unit.To address this concern,your hospital organization would do best to:

A)Implement a patient classification system immediately.
B)Participate in databases that compare the outcomes and staffing levels versus those of institutions similar to yours.
C)Provide increased numbers of staff to the unit.
D)Ignore such concerns because acuity is variable.

Question 20

A nurse manager must also consider a number of internal variables that will affect staffing patterns.An internal variable to be considered is:

A)Organizational staffing policies.
B)State licensing standards.
C)American Nurses Association.
D)Consumer expectations.

Question 21

To reduce reliance on overtime hours,an organization develops a strategy for floating nurses during staff shortages.To maximize patient safety and reduce costs,the healthcare organization:

A)Develops a centralized pool of float nurses.
B)Assigns nurses from less busy units to ones with increased acuity levels.
C)Floats nurses only between units on which the nurses have been cross-trained.
D)Assigns float nurses to basic care only.

Question 22

In reviewing the job description of a nurse manager,the staff becomes aware that a nurse manager's role is complex.Which of the following duties are required of a nurse manager? (Select all that apply.)

A)Ensure unit productivity reports.
B)Develop policy and legislation to protect nurses' well-being.
C)Plan staffing of UNPs only.
D)Prepare a unit budget that reflects unit staffing needs.
E)Monitor nurse-sensitive indicators such as falls and incidence of infections.

Question 23

To project staffing needs and to avoid understaffing,it is important that nurse managers consider which of the following?

A)Maximum productive hours
B)Average nonproductive hours
C)Minimum benefit hours
D)Maximum vacation time

Question 24

Your healthcare organization has a decentralized system for scheduling.As part of this process,after you have developed a draft schedule,you may need to:

A)Seek budgetary approval.
B)Balance personal schedules against institutional needs.
C)Negotiate the schedule with unit staff.
D)Submit the schedule to a centralized staffing office for review.