ATI RN
Ethics & Issues in Contemporary Nursing Questions
Question 1 of 5
When deciding which staffing option to use on a nursing unit that will open soon, the manager realizes that:
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Step 1: Continuity of care is enhanced with longer shifts because nurses have more time to build relationships with patients and understand their needs. Step 2: Working consecutive days per week reduces handoffs, which can lead to errors and miscommunications. Step 3: 12-hour shifts allow nurses to have more days off, reducing burnout and fatigue. Summary: Choice B is incorrect as part-time nurses may not provide consistent care. Choice C is incorrect as staff satisfaction doesn't always translate to patient satisfaction. Choice D is incorrect as the work environment can impact the quality of care provided by nurses.
Question 2 of 5
A nurse responsible for staffing a medical-surgical unit must consider: (select all that apply)
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A: the patient census. This is crucial for determining the appropriate number of staff needed to provide safe and effective care based on the current number of patients. The patient census directly impacts workload and patient acuity levels. Choices B, C, and D are incorrect because although they may be important factors to consider when staffing a medical-surgical unit, they are not as directly related to determining the immediate staffing needs based on the current patient load. The physical layout of the unit, complexity of care required, and educational level of staff are important for overall unit operations and quality of care but do not have the same immediate impact on staffing decisions as the patient census.
Question 3 of 5
Each month data on admission assessments that are based on the following standard are entered: "All patients will be assessed by an RN within 2 hours of admission." The target goal for this standard is 97% compliance. Data are displayed on a graph that shows number and time of admission assessments and compliance variation limits. This pictorial representation is:
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: control chart. A control chart is used to display data over time and indicate variations within set limits, making it ideal for monitoring compliance with a standard like "All patients will be assessed by an RN within 2 hours of admission." The control chart allows for easy identification of trends, shifts, or patterns that may indicate a need for corrective action to maintain the 97% compliance goal. A: Pareto chart is used to identify the most significant factors contributing to a problem, not to monitor compliance over time. C: Deployment chart is not a standard tool in quality control or process monitoring. D: A top-down flowchart is used to depict the sequence of steps in a process, not to monitor compliance with a standard over time.
Question 4 of 5
The staff on a nursing unit notes that patient satisfaction varies from month to month. They plot the degree of patient satisfaction each month for 1 year to determine when the periods of greatest dissatisfaction are occurring. The staff uses which type of graph?
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A: Time plot. A time plot is the most appropriate graph for displaying data over time to identify trends and patterns. In this scenario, plotting patient satisfaction levels monthly over a year allows the staff to analyze fluctuations and identify periods of greatest dissatisfaction accurately. Summary of other choices: B: Pareto chart - Pareto charts are used to display the frequency of occurrences in a dataset in descending order. It is not suitable for analyzing trends over time. C: Flowchart - Flowcharts are used to represent processes and workflows, not suitable for displaying time-series data. D: Cause-and-effect diagram - Cause-and-effect diagrams are used to identify and analyze potential causes of a problem, not suitable for displaying time-series data.
Question 5 of 5
The surgical team arrives in the operating room and one member states, "Everyone stop. Let's identify the patient and operative site. Now does anyone have any questions or concerns?" This process is known as:
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: The correct answer is A: time-out. A time-out is a crucial pre-operative safety practice where the surgical team pauses to verify the patient's identity, procedure, and surgical site to prevent errors. This step ensures everyone is on the same page and reduces the risk of wrong-site surgeries. Explanation: 1. Identify patient and operative site: By verifying the patient's identity and the correct surgical site, the team prevents potential mistakes. 2. Address questions or concerns: Encouraging team members to voice any uncertainties or issues promotes open communication and collaboration. 3. Safety measure: The time-out is a key component of the World Health Organization's Surgical Safety Checklist to enhance patient safety. Summary: B: A critical pathway is a predetermined sequence of steps in patient care, not specific to surgical safety. C: Special cause variation refers to statistical process control, unrelated to surgical safety. D: Lean methodology focuses on efficiency and waste reduction in processes, not directly related to pre-operative safety checks like a time