ANM Leadership and Management Styles 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An ANM notices persistent conflict between two nurses. She meets with each individually, acknowledges their perspectives, and facilitates a joint discussion. Which conflict management style is this?
- Avoiding
- Competing
- Collaborating (Correct answer)
- Accommodating
Correct answer: Collaborating
The collaborating style seeks a win-win solution by engaging all parties, acknowledging concerns, and working toward mutual agreement.
Question 2: Which of the following BEST distinguishes a manager from a leader?
- Managers focus on change; leaders focus on stability
- Managers handle processes and systems; leaders influence people and direction (Correct answer)
- Leaders enforce policies; managers inspire vision
- Managers focus on patients; leaders focus on administration
Correct answer: Managers handle processes and systems; leaders influence people and direction
Managers maintain order through planning and control of systems, while leaders inspire, influence, and drive change through people.
Question 3: A newly promoted ANM adopts a highly directive approach with an experienced senior nurse. What is the likely consequence?
- Improved patient outcomes due to clear direction
- Staff appreciation for structured oversight
- Decreased morale and potential resentment from the experienced nurse (Correct answer)
- Increased accountability from senior staff
Correct answer: Decreased morale and potential resentment from the experienced nurse
Applying a telling style to a high-readiness employee is a mismatch in situational leadership and typically results in disengagement and resentment.
Question 4: In the context of ANM leadership, 'authentic leadership' primarily requires:
- Following all staff suggestions to demonstrate respect
- Acting consistently with personal values, transparent communication, and self-awareness (Correct answer)
- Adopting the most popular management style on the unit
- Prioritizing institutional goals over personal integrity
Correct answer: Acting consistently with personal values, transparent communication, and self-awareness
Authentic leaders are self-aware, transparent, and act in alignment with their values, building trust with their teams.
Question 5: Which style of management is most likely to result in high short-term productivity but increased staff turnover over time?
- Transformational
- Democratic
- Autocratic (Correct answer)
- Coaching
Correct answer: Autocratic
Autocratic management can produce rapid results but typically leads to low morale, limited autonomy, and higher turnover in the long run.
Question 6: An ANM consistently praises staff achievements publicly and adjusts workloads to prevent burnout. This behavior aligns with which leadership component?
- Transactional contingent reward
- Transformational individualized consideration (Correct answer)
- Laissez-faire non-management
- Bureaucratic rule enforcement
Correct answer: Transformational individualized consideration
Individualized consideration, a core element of transformational leadership, involves attending to each follower's needs for growth and emotional support.
Question 7: Which of the following is an example of using power appropriately in nursing management?
- Threatening disciplinary action to motivate routine task completion
- Using expert knowledge to guide clinical decision-making during a patient crisis (Correct answer)
- Withholding information to maintain authority over staff
- Assigning extra tasks to staff who challenge decisions
Correct answer: Using expert knowledge to guide clinical decision-making during a patient crisis
Expert power is appropriate and professional when used to improve patient outcomes; abusing positional power damages trust and team function.
ANM Leadership and Management Styles 4
An ANM notices persistent conflict between two nurses.
She meets with each individually, acknowledges their perspectives, and facilitates a joint discussion.
Which conflict management style is this?