Which of the following is a common characteristic of a high reliability organization (HRO)?

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: Preoccupation with failure. High reliability organizations (HROs) prioritize identifying and addressing potential failures to prevent catastrophic events. This focus on failure helps them anticipate, detect, and respond to risks effectively. A: Flexibility may be important but not a defining characteristic of HROs. B: Reluctance to simplify is not a common characteristic as HROs value simplicity and clarity in communication. D: Deference to expertise is beneficial but not exclusive to HROs as many organizations value expertise. Therefore, the preoccupation with failure is the key characteristic of a high reliability organization.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: Mentor and educator for new nurses. A nurse preceptor guides and supports new nurses in their transition to the workplace, providing mentorship and educational resources. This role involves teaching clinical skills, sharing knowledge, and offering emotional support. A: Supervisor of all nursing staff - Incorrect. A nurse preceptor focuses on mentoring new nurses, not supervising all nursing staff. C: Director of nursing services - Incorrect. The director of nursing services is a higher-level administrative position responsible for overseeing the nursing department. D: Coordinator of patient care - Incorrect. While a nurse preceptor may assist in coordinating patient care for their assigned nurse, their primary role is to mentor and educate new nurses.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The primary goal of a nursing informatics specialist is to improve healthcare delivery. This involves utilizing technology and data to enhance patient outcomes, streamline processes, and increase efficiency in healthcare settings. Nursing informatics specialists focus on integrating information systems to provide better decision-making tools for healthcare providers, ultimately leading to improved patient care. Managing patient care (choice A) is typically the responsibility of healthcare providers, while implementing new technology (choice B) and supporting clinical decisions (choice D) are important aspects but not the primary goal of a nursing informatics specialist, whose main focus is on enhancing healthcare delivery through the effective use of technology and data.

Correct Answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is B: To develop staffing policies and procedures. The primary purpose of a nurse staffing committee is to establish guidelines and protocols for nurse staffing levels to ensure safe and effective patient care. By developing staffing policies, the committee can address issues such as nurse-to-patient ratios, shift scheduling, and workload distribution. This helps maintain quality care and prevent burnout among nurses. Incorrect options: A: To oversee patient safety initiatives - While patient safety is a critical aspect of nursing care, the primary focus of the staffing committee is on developing policies related to nurse staffing, not overseeing patient safety initiatives. C: To coordinate patient care - While coordinating patient care is essential, the primary role of the staffing committee is to focus on staffing policies rather than direct patient care coordination. D: To manage nurse recruitment - Nurse recruitment is typically handled by human resources or a recruitment team, not the staffing committee. The staffing committee's main function is to determine appropriate staffing levels and guidelines.

Correct Answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: National healthcare legislation. Macro-level health policies are those that are implemented at the national level and have a broad impact on a large population. National healthcare legislation falls under this category as it sets guidelines and regulations for the entire country's healthcare system. Local health ordinances (A) are specific regulations for a particular locality, state licensing regulations (B) are at the state level, and institutional policies (D) are specific to individual healthcare institutions. Therefore, the correct choice is C as it aligns with the definition of macro-level health policy.