Leadership and Management in Nursing Flashcards

A nurse is assigned to care for four patients. Which patient should the nurse assess first?

Answer: A patient who had a seizure 30 minutes ago and is now postictal

A postictal patient after a seizure requires immediate assessment for airway patency, injury, and neurological status — safety takes priority.

A nurse delegates morning baths to an unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP). The nurse retains responsibility for:

Answer: Supervising the task and evaluating patient outcomes

Delegation transfers the task but not the accountability — the nurse is responsible for supervision and verifying patient outcomes.

A nurse receives a verbal order from a physician by phone. What is the appropriate action?

Answer: Repeat the order back to the physician to confirm accuracy, then document

Read-back of verbal/telephone orders is the required safety practice to prevent transcription errors before carrying out the order.

A nurse witnesses a colleague make a medication error that caused patient harm. The nurse should first:

Answer: Assess the patient and notify the physician, then complete an incident report

Patient safety is the first priority — assess the patient, notify the provider, then complete the required incident report.

A charge nurse is using transformational leadership. Which behavior best exemplifies this style?

Answer: Inspiring staff through a shared vision and mentoring professional growth

Transformational leadership motivates staff through inspiration, shared vision, and fostering professional development rather than through rewards and punishments.

A nurse is concerned about a physician's order that seems unsafe. Using SBAR, what does the 'R' stand for?

Answer: Recommendation

In the SBAR communication tool, 'R' stands for Recommendation — what the nurse is requesting or suggesting the provider do.