Deck 5: Managing Time and Stress

Question 1

The impending demand for a sufficient number of nurses will occur when ______ reach an age when they will consume the greatest number of health care services.

A) baby boomers
B) Generation Xers
C) elderly adults
D) children

Answer 1

baby boomers

Question 2

When a nurse leader is able to fully embrace the healthy work environment and engage others in its achievement, what is the leader demonstrating?

A) Authentic leadership
B) Meaningful recognition
C) True collaboration
D) Skilled communication

Answer 2

Authentic leadership

Question 3

The first stage of the moral distress change process is for the nurse to become aware of their moral distress. This stage is known as:

A) act.
B) ask.
C) affirm.
D) assess.

Answer 3

ask.

Question 4

A first-year nursing student has received a midterm grade of "D" and is disappointed. She says to the instructor, "I just don't have enough time to do all the reading and assignments. I have to work; I have two children; I have to do grocery shopping, make the meals, and participate in a carpool; and I just don't have enough time to study." The nursing instructor suggests which of the following to her?

A) Setting priorities
B) Obtaining counseling and tutoring
C) Developing a time plan and schedule
D) Dropping out of school for the semester

Question 5

Nurses on the midnight shift are experiencing difficulty with receiving materials from the central supply department. Last night a patient was admitted to the unit from the emergency department with a heart dysrhythmia. The nurse requested that a temporary pacemaker kit be placed in the unit as a standby in case the patient required its use. The central supply unit did not comply until the patient required its emergent use. The nurse was stressed. This is an example of which type of stress?

A) Operational failures
B) Overload of role
C) Resistant resources
D) Role conflict

Question 6

There is evidence of a link between _____ work environments with increased patient satisfaction and better outcomes.

A) stressful
B) healthy
C) financially focused
D) noisy

Question 7

A staff nurse has a concern about a co-worker who may be diverting medications. The staff nurse would like to report the concern to a supervisor, but she is fearful of retaliation from her colleagues. The staff nurse knows that the ethical thing to do is report the concern for the sake of patient safety. This nurse is experiencing:

A) stress.
B) procrastination.
C) moral distress.
D) burnout.

Question 8

Time management is an essential skill for nurse managers. This can be effectively managed through the creation of to-do lists and is an example of:

A) delegation.
B) motivation.
C) negotiation.
D) prioritization.

Question 9

A staff nurse has kept a time log to assist her in developing her time management skills. After a week, she reviews the log with her nurse manager and notices that there were several times that she was waiting for supplies and missing medications. The nurse manager suggests which of the following?

A) Notifying the pharmacy and central supply that there are delays in supply delivery
B) Gathering supplies and checking for the availability of medications so they can be ordered prior to starting care
C) Informing the prior shift that this is a problem
D) Completing an occurrence report so quality assurance will investigate the problem

Question 10

Managing and leading nursing staff through difficult times can be accomplished through implementation of:

A) Institute of Medicine Coalitions.
B) health care reform.
C) the Troubled Asset Relief Program.
D) Healthy Work Environment (HWE) standards.

Question 11

In developing a "things to do list," it is important to do which of the following?

A) Write down all tasks that need to be completed.
B) Arrange an order of priority.
C) Limit outside interruptions.
D) Color-code the list by category.

Question 12

Nurse managers are in a position of impacting the stress levels of employees through improving work environments and creating a culture of enhanced staff satisfaction. What type of leader is most effective at creating such an environment?

A) Transformational
B) Authoritative
C) Laissez-faire
D) Transitional

Question 13

_____ is defined as the accomplishment of specified activities during the time available.

A) Stress
B) Mismanagement of resources
C) Time management
D) Self-management

Question 14

What are some methods that nursing staff can use to manage personal stress levels (select all that apply)?

A) Take personal time each day.
B) Take on extra shifts to keep the mind occupied.
C) Get enough sleep.
D) Pay attention to diet and exercise.
E) Have a strong support network of friends and family.

Question 15

Which of the following statements are true regarding job stress (select all that apply)?

A) Job stress is related more to external demands that are brought into the workplace.
B) Job stress can lead to burnout.
C) Job stress is manifested as emotional and/or physical exhaustion.
D) Job stress increases productivity.
E) Levels of job stress that are too low or too high decrease individual productivity.

Question 16

A new nurse manager is provided with a smartphone in order to efficiently manage her time. What is the most effective method of managing stress related to e-mail?

A) Create an auditory cue that alerts the manager to incoming messages so they can be processed immediately.
B) Set aside time during meetings to read and respond to messages.
C) Sort and flag e-mails that need follow-up.
D) Delete e-mails that require a more lengthy response.

Question 17

Definitions of stress are (select all that apply):

A) a negative emotional experience that is associated with biological changes that trigger the body to make adaptations.
B) the accomplishment of specified activities during an available time period.
C) a physical, mental, psychological, or spiritual response to an experience.
D) a response that is evaluated by the individual as a threat to one's sense of well-being.

Question 18

Jay, a nurse on the medical-surgical unit, has been caring for a patient with chronic renal failure, congestive heart failure, and a history of myocardial infarctions. The client has been extremely irritable with the nursing staff. After working with the client for 4 days, trying various strategies to help the client work through his anger, Jay asks to have another assignment when he comes back to work in 2 days. This depicts:

A) confrontational conflict.
B) time management.
C) burnout.
D) resolving conflict.

Question 19

Nurses who are successful at time management:

A) display an ability to set measurable goals and objectives.
B) frequently volunteer for new and creative projects.
C) hesitate to delegate because of perfectionist characteristics.
D) tend to accomplish specific activities within a time frame.

Question 20

Which of the following responses may occur related to stress (select all that apply)?

A) Increased heart rate
B) Decreased blood glucose levels
C) Emotional distress
D) Anxiety
E) Chronic health conditions

Question 21

A staff RN is writing an article for a prestigious nursing journal. The deadline is in 1 week, and she is feeling overwhelmed about completing her work. She is unable to keep up with home management, and she is beginning to procrastinate on the project. She also has other responsibilities, such as taking her elderly mother grocery shopping and to health care appointments. She is married to a busy executive and has three children, all of whom are active in high school sports. Which of the following time management strategies would be helpful (select all that apply)?

A) Break the project into smaller, manageable pieces.
B) Contact an elderly nurse aide helper program to assist with shopping.
C) Cut extra activities out of her schedule, such as her morning walk.
D) Delegate some of the household chores to her family.

Question 22

Methods to overcome procrastination include (select all that apply):

A) delegating sections or portions of the task.
B) determining personal benefit from completing the task.
C) reassessing the purpose and goals of the task.
D) waiting until motivated to begin the task.

Question 23

Job stress can accumulate into (select all that apply):

A) better time management skills.
B) feelings of elation.
C) burnout.
D) physical exhaustion.

Question 24

Senior leadership can assist managers in mitigating stress in the workplace. Which strategies will assist the manager in creating a more healthy work environment (select all that apply)?

A) Celebrate successes as a team through rewards and recognition.
B) Allow the manager to have decisional authority.
C) Keep information confidential regarding safety concerns or initiatives.
D) Maintain a positive approach that is focused on the patient, family, and staff.
E) Ensure that the manager maintains responsibility for all aspects of unit functioning.

Question 25

What are some potential reasons that nurses experience higher levels of stress (select all that apply)?

A) Nurses are skilled at setting boundaries.
B) Nurses often put others' needs ahead of their own.
C) Staff nurses are under pressure to do more with less.
D) There are support staff cuts.
E) There are fluctuations in staffing levels.

Question 26

Max is a nurse on the 7 PM to 7 AM shift on the orthopedic floor. He is the most experienced nurse on the unit during this shift, with 6 years of nursing experience. Max usually acts as charge nurse during his shift while caring for a group of patients. Recently there has been an influx of new graduates working on his shift. Some nights, he is expected to orient a new nurse, act as the charge nurse, and mentor other new nurses working on the floor. He is concerned that with all of the new nurses, there are not enough mentors for all of them, resulting in less-than-optimal care delivery. Which type of stress is he experiencing (select all that apply)?

A) Role ambiguity
B) Role incongruity
C) Role overload
D) Role underload