ATI RN
Ethics and Issues in Contemporary Nursing Questions
Question 1 of 5
Which action represents the key management function of strategic planning?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D because developing a 5-year plan that incorporates the clinical nurse leader aligns with strategic planning, which involves setting long-term goals and outlining strategies to achieve them. This action demonstrates forward-thinking and aligns with the organization's overall vision. A: Ensuring nurses understand organizational philosophy is important but does not specifically relate to strategic planning. B: Evaluating communication processes is more operational or tactical in nature, not directly tied to long-term strategic planning. C: Monitoring data from a quality management initiative is important for quality improvement but does not directly relate to future planning and strategy development.
Question 2 of 5
A nurse asks, "What is meant by 'internal' customers?" The correct response is: (select all that apply)
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C: X-ray technicians. Internal customers refer to individuals or departments within the same organization who rely on each other's services to fulfill their roles effectively. X-ray technicians work within the healthcare facility and depend on other staff like nurses for patient care coordination. Insurance companies (A) and accreditors (B) are external entities. Clinical pharmacists (D) are also internal, but X-ray technicians have a direct service-dependency relationship with nurses in healthcare settings, making them the most relevant internal customers in this context.
Question 3 of 5
In a large health care facility, the executive administrative leaders set the budget goals to decrease full-time equivalents by 3%, eliminate the cost of agency nurses, reduce lost revenue from lost supplies by 1%, and provide a 5% hourly salary incentive for working on a float unit when the assigned unit has a low census. Nurse managers meet with nursing administrators to design their unit budgets to meet these established goals. The budget approach that is being used is the approach.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B: participatory. This is because the nurse managers are actively involved in designing their unit budgets to meet the established goals set by the executive administrative leaders. In a participatory budgeting approach, input and collaboration from lower-level managers or staff members are encouraged, allowing for a more inclusive and bottom-up decision-making process. This approach fosters ownership, accountability, and transparency in budget planning. Summary of other choices: A: top-down - This approach involves setting budget goals and directives from the top management without much input or involvement from lower-level managers. Not applicable in this scenario. C: iterative - This approach involves making continuous adjustments and refinements to the budget based on feedback and performance data. Not explicitly mentioned in the scenario. D: incremental - This approach involves making small adjustments to the previous budget period. While there may be some incremental changes, the scenario emphasizes a more collaborative process involving nurse managers, making this choice less suitable.
Question 4 of 5
A nurse manager is working with the financial officer to develop the budget of the nursing unit for the next fiscal year. The nurse manager tells the financial officer that which of the following pieces of information will affect budget assumptions?
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The correct answer is B because an increase in patient census directly impacts the budget assumptions by affecting staffing needs, supply costs, and revenue projections. This information is crucial for accurate budget planning. Choice A is incorrect because the capital budget request for new equipment does not directly impact the nursing unit's operational budget assumptions. Choice C is incorrect as the effectiveness of participatory budgeting in controlling supply costs does not directly influence future budget assumptions. Choice D is incorrect as zero-based budgeting efficiency does not directly address the impact of increased patient census on budget assumptions.
Question 5 of 5
Nurses on a unit met with the nurse manager as part of participatory budgeting. They ask, "What exactly is the difference between fixed and variable costs? Understanding this will help us better understand the budgeting process." The manager provides a definition and asks the staff to list types of direct and indirect cost. Which example would indicate a need for further teaching?
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The correct answer is C because the nurse manager's salary is typically considered a fixed cost, not a variable cost. Fixed costs remain constant regardless of the level of production or activity, while variable costs change in direct proportion to the level of activity. The nurse manager's salary is a fixed cost because it remains the same regardless of how many nurses are employed or how many patients are being cared for. A: Fixed costs such as accreditation fees are correct examples. B: Fixed costs like the cost for the automated medication-dispensing system are also correct examples. D: Variable costs like the salary expense for registered nurses are correct examples. Therefore, choice C would indicate a need for further teaching as it misidentifies the nurse manager's salary as a variable cost when it should be classified as a fixed cost.