ATI RN
Contemporary Ethical Issues in Nursing Questions
Question 1 of 5
A nurse manager plans the fiscal budget to include salaries for two RNs for two 12-hour shifts with a patient census of 6 in the short-stay observation room. The nurse manager reviews the budget report 3 months later and notes that the salary expenses are higher than was budgeted because of higher-than-planned RN staff salaries. This additional RN staff is necessary to meet patient care needs because the census has remained constant at 10 patients rather than the 6 projected when the budget was developed. The difference between the planned budget and the actual cost is known as:
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: variance. In this scenario, the nurse manager planned a budget based on a patient census of 6 but the actual census remained constant at 10, leading to higher-than-planned RN staff salaries. The difference between the planned budget and the actual cost is known as a variance. Variances help identify discrepancies between planned and actual expenses, enabling managers to adjust budgets accordingly. Revenue (A) refers to income generated, not the difference between planned and actual expenses. Monitoring (C) is the process of overseeing and evaluating activities, not specifically related to budget discrepancies. Capital expenditures (D) are long-term investments in assets, not related to budget variances.
Question 2 of 5
The nurse manager meets with upper management to share strategic goals agreed upon by her staff for their individual nursing unit as the first step to begin budget negotiations. One strategic goal is that staff will have access to technology that will allow them to incorporate point-of-care devices for all RNs. The second goal is to improve RNs' ability to recognize critical indicators that a patient's health status is deteriorating through advanced health assessment skills. During the meeting the manager discusses the strategy options and selecting the one that works for the unit. Which type of budget development is used?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: Participatory. In participatory budget development, input is gathered from various levels within the organization, such as staff and managers. In this scenario, the nurse manager met with her staff to establish strategic goals before budget negotiations, indicating a participatory approach. This allows for staff buy-in and ownership of the goals. A: Iterative budget development involves refining a budget through multiple rounds of review, which is not explicitly mentioned in the scenario. B: Top-down budget development is characterized by decisions made by upper management without input from lower levels, contradicting the scenario where staff provided input. D: Zero-based budgeting starts from scratch without considering previous budgets, which is not evident in the scenario where goals were established based on staff input. In summary, the participatory budget development is the appropriate choice in this scenario as it aligns with the collaborative approach taken by the nurse manager and her staff in setting strategic goals before budget negotiations.
Question 3 of 5
A nurse manager has calculated that providing 75 hours of direct nursing care per day requires that 120 hours must actually be worked by nursing staff. The manager is involved in: (select all that apply)
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: applying productivity metric. The nurse manager is calculating the ratio of direct nursing care hours to total hours worked, which is a productivity metric. This metric helps assess the efficiency of the nursing staff in delivering care. Developing the capital budget (A) involves planning for long-term investments, not daily staffing calculations. Monitoring the labor budget (C) involves tracking expenses related to staff salaries and benefits, but not necessarily productivity metrics. Incremental budgeting processes (D) refer to budgeting based on past budgets with incremental changes, not specific productivity metrics. Therefore, the nurse manager is primarily involved in applying a productivity metric to assess nursing staff efficiency.
Question 4 of 5
Which statement accurately describes communication?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D because feedback is an essential component of the communication process. Feedback allows the receiver to respond to the sender, indicating understanding or seeking clarification. This two-way interaction is crucial for effective communication. In contrast, choice A is incorrect as communication components are interdependent, not mutually exclusive. Choice B is also incorrect as communication is often non-linear and involves feedback loops. Choice C is incorrect because communication involves various elements beyond just the sender and the receiver, such as context, message, and noise.
Question 5 of 5
The new director of nurses has instituted "walking rounds" on all nursing units, rather than the usual taped shift reports. A veteran nurse exclaims, "She doesn't know how we do things here!" The nurse is demonstrating:
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: appeal to tradition. The veteran nurse is objecting to the change in practice solely because it deviates from the usual way of doing things. This demonstrates a reliance on tradition rather than considering the potential benefits of the new approach. The appeal to tradition fallacy assumes that something is better or correct simply because it is the traditional way. Incorrect choices: A: Appeal to emotion - This choice involves manipulating emotions to win an argument, which is not evident in the scenario. C: Red herring - This choice involves diverting attention from the real issue, which is not the case in the scenario. D: Straw man - This choice involves misrepresenting the opponent's argument to make it easier to attack, which is not demonstrated in the scenario.