Nursing Elites

1. An RN enters a patient�s room to place an indwelling urinary catheter, as ordered by the health-care professional. The client is alert and oriented and tells the RN he wants to leave the hospital now and not receive further treatment. Which of the following actions by the RN would be considered false imprisonment?

• A. The RN tells the client he is not allowed to leave until the physician has released him.
• B. The RN asks the client why he wishes to leave.
• C. The RN asks the client to explain what he understands about his medical diagnosis.
• D. The RN asks the client to sign an against medical advice discharge form.

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The RN tells the client he is not allowed to leave until the physician has released him would be considered false imprisonment.

2. What is the term used for assigning a rating based on an overall impression?

• A. Recency error.
• B. Leniency error.
• C. Absolute judgment.
• D. Halo error.

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is 'Halo error.' Halo error occurs when a rating is given based on a general impression rather than specific performance criteria. Choice A, 'Recency error,' refers to rating an employee based on recent events rather than the entire evaluation period. Choice B, 'Leniency error,' is when a manager consistently rates employees higher than they deserve. Choice C, 'Absolute judgment,' involves evaluating based on established standards rather than an overall impression.

3. After her evaluation, a staff nurse exclaims: 'I'm not sure if my manager knows much about my performance, really. He only had three specific examples to give me, two good performance examples and one to work on, and they all happened in the last month. I don't feel like he can see the whole picture.' What kind of performance appraisal rating does this statement exemplify?

• A. Recency error
• B. Leniency error
• C. Halo error
• D. Absolute judgment

Correct answer: A

Rationale: The statement exemplifies a recency error. Recency error occurs when a manager assesses an employee's performance primarily based on recent events, rather than considering the entire evaluation period. In this case, the staff nurse feels that her manager focused only on recent examples, leading to an incomplete assessment of her overall performance. Choice B, Leniency error, refers to a rater consistently giving high ratings to all employees regardless of performance, which is not evident in this scenario. Choice C, Halo error, involves allowing one positive attribute of an individual to overshadow other characteristics during appraisal, which is not the case here. Absolute judgment, Choice D, is when a rater evaluates an employee without reference to any specific criteria, which is not reflected in the staff nurse's feedback.

4. Which of the following should be included in a discussion of advance directives with new nurse graduates?

• A. According to the Patient Self-Determination Act, nurses are required to inform clients of their right to create an advance directive.
• B. The advance directive designates an individual who will make financial decisions for the client if he or she is unable to do so.
• C. A living will designates who will make health-care decisions for an individual in the event the individual is unable or incompetent to make his or her own decisions.
• D. The advance directive designates a health-care surrogate who will make known the client�s wishes regarding medical treatment if the client is unable to do so.

Correct answer: D

Rationale: One function of the advance directive is to appoint a health-care surrogate who will make known the client�s wishes for medical treatment to the medical and nursing team if the client is unable to do so.

5. An RN knows that sometimes, when working through an ethical dilemma, the decision makers are unable to arrive at a mutually agreed upon decision. Which of the following is a reason why an agreement cannot be reached?

• A. One or more of the parties may be able to reconcile their values.
• B. The patient�s point of view is recognized as valuable.
• C. The dilemma involves two or more equally unpleasant choices.
• D. The institution is unable to honor the patient�s request.

Correct answer: D

Rationale: A patient may make a request that is not possible within the institution. When this occurs, a solution may not be possible within the institution and the patient may need to be transferred to a different institution that may be able to honor the request.

Similar Questions