Nursing Elites

1. Verbal interventions with an agitated patient may be calming. These interventions include:

• A. Holding and reassuring the patient
• B. Encouraging other staff to distract the patient
• C. Remaining calm and keeping an arm's distance
• D. Standing close to the patient while talking

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: Remaining calm and keeping an arm's distance. Agitated individuals benefit from minimal verbal and physical stimulation. They respond to their environment based on how nurses interact with them. If an individual feels threatened or cornered, the response will generally be self-protective and reactive. Standing close to the patient (choice D) can be perceived as invasive and may escalate the situation. Holding and reassuring the patient (choice A) may not be effective if the patient perceives it as intrusive. Encouraging other staff to distract the patient (choice B) may introduce unnecessary stimulation. Therefore, the recommended approach is to remain calm and keep a safe distance to provide a non-threatening environment for the agitated patient.

2. 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.

3. What is dysfunctional turnover?

• A. Retaining all employees.
• B. Losing employees consistently.
• C. Losing highly skilled employees who are hard to replace.
• D. Hiring new employees.

Correct answer: C

Rationale: Dysfunctional turnover refers to the loss of valuable, skilled employees who are challenging to replace. This turnover can be detrimental to an organization's performance and productivity. Choices A, B, and D are incorrect because dysfunctional turnover specifically involves losing high-quality employees, not retaining all employees, losing employees consistently, or hiring new employees.

4. What is the difference between the amounts that were budgeted for specific revenue or cost and the actual revenue or cost that resulted during the course of activities?

• A. Budget
• B. Variable
• C. Variance
• D. Premiums

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C, Variance. Variance represents the distinction between the planned budgeted amount for a particular revenue or cost and the actual amount that occurred during the activities. In financial management, variance analysis is crucial for assessing performance and identifying areas that deviate from the budgeted expectations. Choice A, 'Budget,' is incorrect as it refers to the planned amount rather than the difference between planned and actual amounts. Choice B, 'Variable,' does not specifically address the comparison between budgeted and actual figures. Choice D, 'Premiums,' is unrelated to the concept of comparing budgeted and actual values in the context of financial analysis.

5. A healthcare professional is administering 1 L of 0.9% sodium chloride to a client who is postoperative and has fluid volume deficit. Which of the following changes should the healthcare professional identify as an indication that the treatment was successful?

• A. Increase in hematocrit
• B. Increase in respiratory rate
• C. Decrease in heart rate
• D. Decrease in capillary refill time

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D: Decrease in capillary refill time. In a client with fluid volume deficit, improving capillary refill time indicates that the perfusion status is improving due to the increase in fluid volume. Choices A, B, and C are incorrect. An increase in hematocrit may indicate hemoconcentration due to fluid loss, an increase in respiratory rate may suggest respiratory distress, and a decrease in heart rate may not be directly related to fluid volume status.

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