Deck 14: Effective Staff Communication and Working Relationships

Question 1

Which statement reflects a possible barrier to effective listening?

A) The staff members feel that the manager communicates with them.
B) The staff members have known each other and the manager for a long time.
C) There is open-ended questioning by the manager.
D) The manager seeks out information that might be negative.

Answer 1

The staff members have known each other and the manager for a long time.

Question 2

The nurse team leader asks the nursing assistant to ambulate a patient after morning care. This is an example of which type of communication?

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

Answer 2

Downward communication

Question 3

The nurse is using effective communication by summarizing the other person's position, reading body language and nonverbal messages, and demonstrating curiosity about the other person's views. These features demonstrate which critical element of effective communication?

A) Solving
B) Exploring
C) Talking
D) Listening

Answer 3

Listening

Question 4

Which statements illustrate the benefits of productive communication? Select all that apply.

A) Quick resolution of misunderstandings
B) A more motivational climate
C) Less staff turnover
D) Less need for staff to express different points of views
E) A productive rumor mill

Question 5

Evaluate these statements and choose the response that indicates summarization.

A) "I thought you were supposed to go home today. What happened?"
B) "What I think I'm hearing you say is that you are angry you have to wait one more day before you can go home."
C) "We have no beds available for any admissions."
D) "I don't know the answer to your question, but I will check."

Question 6

Which statement demonstrates correct supervisory feedback?

A) "You have been late three times this week. Why are you so lazy?"
B) "I think you ought to be more concerned with finishing one project before starting another."
C) "The staff really worked hard on making sure all documentation was completed before the afternoon shift arrived."
D) "All the staff need to do a better job."

Question 7

A physician is giving orders to a nurse regarding a newly admitted patient. The physician is gesturing, maintaining eye contact, and using a loud tone of voice. These factors illustrate primarily which type of communication?

A) Cultural
B) Nonverbal
C) Verbal
D) Metacommunication.

Question 8

The hospital has established a nursing work team to develop a new system for delivering shift reports information. Which line of communication will be used for most of this team's work?

A) Upward
B) Downward
C) Lateral
D) Diagonal

Question 9

Which option illustrates the manager's role in supporting effective communication?

A) The manager should always use reassuring statements with the staff.
B) The manager should use selective listening when talking to staff about problems.
C) The manager should always reach forward and touch the staff member when delivering feedback.
D) The manager should inquire further into situations that seem vague or confusing.

Question 10

The Institute for Medicine (IOM) includes communication in the core competency of providing patient-centered care. Which option reflects the IOM's position on communication?

A) Disclosure of patient information should be done only if the patient has a need to know.
B) Information should always be provided in a written format.
C) Communication should be done in a language the patient understands.
D) Using medical terminology is the most accurate method of providing patient information.

Question 11

Which staff action would indicate a staff communication problem?

A) Participative management
B) Metacommunication
C) Silence
D) Asking for information to be repeated

Question 12

Analyze these statements and choose the response that best reflects paraphrasing.

A) "You are saying you didn't sleep well last night because the unit was so noisy?"
B) "Can you tell me why you didn't sleep well last night?"
C) "You should have told the night nurse you needed medication to help you sleep."
D) "Did you talk to your doctor about not sleeping last night?"

Question 13

Which situations illustrate barriers to communication? Select all that apply.

A) The nurse uses active listening when completing the admission interview of a new patient.
B) The nurse assistant frowns and crosses her arms when the nurse is giving instruction.
C) The nurse asks says to the patient, "Tell me about why you came to the hospital today."
D) The nurse assistant says, "Show me how you want input and output recorded."
E) The nurse always says, "it will be alright" when there is a problem on the unit.

Question 14

The nurse manager would like to increase staff feedback. Which action would encourage the staff to give feedback to the manager?

A) Using the grapevine
B) Written communication
C) Downward communication
D) Walk-around management

Question 15

The nurse manager smiles constantly during a staff meeting in which changes to the holiday work schedule are announced. What is the probable result of this presentation?

A) The nurses will feel the manager is concerned about their interests.
B) The nurses will think the manager likes the changes.
C) The nurses will not be confident that the manager is being truthful.
D) The nurses will appreciate the manager's support.

Question 16

The nurse observes the patient to be smiling, nodding, and saying "OK" when the physician explains a painful procedure that is planned for the patient. How should the nurse react to this observation?

A) Clarify that the patient understands the explanation.
B) Tell the physician that the nurse does not think the patient understands the explanation.
C) Seek an interpreter to assist the patient in understanding the explanation.
D) Understand that this is the patient's way of dealing with stress.

Question 17

Analyze these statements and choose the response that indicates reflection.

A) "Did you receive your test results?"
B) While the nurse is nodding, she says, "Um, I see."
C) "You seem very sad about your test results."
D) "Did you understand the instructions?"

Question 18

The nurse says to the nursing assistant, "Please bathe this patient first today." This message is delivered in the hallway as the nursing assistant is unloading breakfast trays for the unit. Which element of communication is most likely to result in miscommunication in this scenario?

A) Sender
B) Message
C) Receiver
D) Context

Question 19

Place the steps of the communication process in the order in which they generally occur.

A) Medium
B) Encoding
C) Feedback
D) Decoding

Question 20

Which options illustrate an open communication environment? Select all that apply.

A) The nurse manager gives staff time to respond to questions.
B) The nurse manager reinforces positive behaviors.
C) The nurse manager often shares critical information about the unit with nurses and asks them to keep it a secret.
D) The nurse manager makes false inferences about information.
E) Communication skills are included in the performance evaluations of all staff.

Question 21

The administrative staff of a healthcare facility has adopted storytelling as a major communication style. Which management theory is associated most with this style?

A) Hierarchial
B) Knowledge management
C) Traditional
D) Emotional intelligence

Question 22

If you are assessing your use of paraphrasing, what are you focused on?

A) You summarize the conversation you have had.
B) You quote what someone has said.
C) You restate what someone has said to confirm the message.
D) You ask for clarification.

Question 23

You are concerned about the emails you are receiving from nurse managers in your department. As CNE, you decide to develop a list of "don'ts" for your managers when sending emails through the HCO email system. What might you include? Select all that apply.

A) Inappropriate emoticons should not be used.
B) Do not automatically use "reply all."
C) Do not use attachments.
D) Do not send several emails, when one will be sufficient.
E) If message is not urgent, do not mark it as urgent just to get a quick reply.

Question 24

What is a common weakness of HCO websites?

A) They are not routinely reviewed and updated as need.
B) Website includes graphics that are not clear.
C) The website does not indicate who owns the site.
D) The homepage does not provide overview.

Question 25

During the nurse manager's performance evaluation, the nurse executive shares that the staff believe the manager makes overly judgmental statements. Which strategies could the manager use to avoid this tendency? Select all that apply.

A) Be very direct in communication.
B) Use active listening.
C) Try to understand other people's viewpoints.
D) Stop and think before responding.
E) Use open questioning.

Question 26

The nurses caring for a newly admitted patient need to discuss nursing care. Which location would maintain the confidentiality of this discussion?

A) The nurse's station.
B) The hallway outside the patient's room.
C) The staff cafeteria.
D) The room where nurses take report.
E) The staff elevator.

Question 27

Select the strategies that will make use of voicemail most effective. Select all that apply.

A) Speak quickly so that the entire message can be delivered before the machine stops recording.
B) Repeat numbers and e-mail addresses given in the message.
C) Be prepared to leave a message before the call is actually made.
D) Suggest a time and method for return communication.
E) Do not use voicemail for confidential information.

Question 28

Which communication method is at higher risk for over-sharing of work related information that should not be shared?

A) Written
B) Social networking
C) Oral
D) Videoconferencing

Question 29

The nurse executive is aware that the hospital's nurse managers feel overwhelmed by e-mails, memos, and other communication throughout their day. What strategies could the nurse executive employ to reduce this feeling of overload? Select all that apply.

A) Include a time frame for response in all messages sent to the managers.
B) Combine as many messages as possible into one long e-mail each day.
C) Schedule face-to-face meetings with the managers rather than communicating electronically.
D) Issue each nurse manager a cell phone for communication.
E) Examine the need to send each e-mail before sending it.

Question 30

In preparation for your performance appraisal meeting with your nurse manager, you have done a self-assessment of your communication. Which of the following might you include in the positive column demonstrating effective communication? Select all that apply.

A) Your communication often focuses on "you" statements.
B) If you are not sure of answer, state what you think it is and say will get back to check on it.
C) Validate with the receiver when discussing important information.
D) For complex topics, think about what you will say before communicating.
E) Use eye contact in appropriate manner.