Leadership and Teamwork Flashcards
7 cards from real NMC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Leadership and Teamwork flashcards as text
A senior nurse notices that a junior colleague always defers to the most senior person in the room, even when the junior nurse has relevant expertise. This behaviour most likely reflects a barrier related to:
Answer: Hierarchical authority gradient inhibiting assertive communication
A steep authority gradient causes junior staff to suppress concerns or expertise, undermining team effectiveness and patient safety.
Which of the following best illustrates distributed leadership in a clinical setting?
Answer: Leadership responsibilities are shared across team members according to their expertise and situation
Distributed leadership recognises that different team members take the lead based on the situation and their specific expertise, rather than defaulting to formal hierarchy.
A nurse manager is implementing a change in medication administration policy. Team members express resistance. What strategy best promotes successful change adoption?
Answer: Involve staff in the planning process, explain the rationale, and address concerns transparently
Participatory change management reduces resistance by giving staff a voice, building ownership, and ensuring the rationale is understood.
A nurse observes that two team members have a longstanding interpersonal conflict that is disrupting ward communication. As the team leader, what is the first step?
Answer: Meet with each person separately to understand their perspectives before facilitating a joint discussion
Understanding each party's perspective privately first enables the leader to facilitate a fair, constructive resolution without inflaming the situation.
Under the NMC Code, what is a registered nurse's responsibility when asked to carry out a task for which they have not been assessed as competent?
Answer: Decline the task, explain the reason, and seek appropriate support or training
The NMC Code requires nurses to recognise and work within the limits of their competence, declining tasks they are not qualified to perform safely.
When applying situational leadership theory to clinical practice, a leader working with an enthusiastic novice nurse should primarily use which leadership approach?
Answer: Coaching — high direction and high support
An enthusiastic novice has high motivation but low skill, requiring high direction and high support (coaching) to build competence alongside confidence.
A nurse is asked to act as a clinical supervisor for a colleague returning to practice after a career break. Which approach best supports the returning nurse's reintegration?
Answer: Conduct a structured competency assessment, agree a development plan, and provide regular supervised practice with feedback
A structured, supervised return with agreed goals and regular feedback ensures safe, supported reintegration aligned with NMC revalidation and practice standards.