NUR201 Exam IV – Leadership, Management, Legal, and Ethics

Vocabulary flashcards covering leadership styles, management concepts, change theory, delegation, legal/ethical concepts, and EMTALA-related topics from the lecture notes.

Leadership

Ability to influence and motivate others toward achieving goals; leadership means doing the right things.

Autocratic leadership

Leader makes decisions; best for emergencies (e.g., code blue).

Democratic leadership

Shared decision-making; encourages team input.

Laissez-faire leadership

Group decisions with low direction; tends to result in low productivity in healthcare.

Servant leadership

Focuses on helping and growing others.

Quantum leadership

Adapts to rapid changes in complex systems.

Transactional leadership

Uses rewards and punishments to influence performance.

Transformational leadership

Inspires change and growth through vision and motivation.

Commitment to excellence

Leadership skill: dedication to high standards and quality care.

Problem-solving and critical thinking

Leadership skill: analyzing issues to identify effective solutions.

Trustworthiness, respect, empathy

Leadership skill: ethical and compassionate interpersonal behavior.

Strategic focus and staff growth responsibility

Leadership skill: guiding toward long-term goals while developing team members.

Mentorship

Development of leadership in new nurses through guidance and role modeling.

Preceptorship

Structured mentorship during clinical practice to build leadership and clinical skills.

Committee participation

Engaging in organizational groups to develop leadership and governance.

POSDC (Managerial Functions)

Plan, Organize, Staff, Direct, Control – core management functions.

Lewin’s Change Theory: Unfreezing

Identify and prepare for the need for change.

Lewin’s Change Theory: Moving

Plan and implement the change.

Lewin’s Change Theory: Refreezing

Make the change permanent.

Overcoming resistance to change

Strategies: Explain clearly, show advantages, link to values, gradually implement.

Resistance to change

Common barrier to change often due to fear or misunderstanding.

Delegation

Transfer of responsibility for a task while retaining accountability.

Five Rights of Delegation

Right Task, Right Circumstance, Right Person, Right Direction/Communication, Right Supervision/Evaluation.

Do NOT delegate: Initial assessments

Initial assessments should be performed by qualified personnel.

Do NOT delegate: Education/teaching

Patient education and teaching should not be delegated.

Discharge planning

Process to prepare a patient for safe transfer from hospital to home or another care setting.

Interpreting abnormal data

Clinical interpretation requires appropriate licensure; not typically delegated.

Invasive lines (policy-dependent)

Invasive lines should not be delegated unless policy allows.

Safe tasks for Assistive Personnel (AP)

Routine vitals; bathing/feeding stable patients; ambulation; I&O; weights.

Don’t delegate what you EAT

EAT stands for Evaluate, Assess, Teach.

ADA

Americans with Disabilities Act; protects individuals with disabilities from discrimination.

PSDA

Patient Self-Determination Act; supports patient rights and advance directives.

MHPA/MHPAEA

Mental Health Parity Act/ Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act; mental health coverage parity.

HIPAA

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act; protects patient privacy and governs disclosures.

HIPAA rights: view, copy, update, correct records

Patients may access and amend their health records as allowed by law.

HIPAA rights: restrict disclosures

Patients can request limits on disclosures of their information.

HIPAA rights: choose communication method

Patients can select preferred channels for communicating health information.

Invasion of privacy (examples)

Discussing information without consent; unnecessary exposure; using names without de-identification.

Permitted disclosures

Public health reports, coroners, organ donation, law enforcement, and court orders.

License suspension/revocation

Reasons include substance abuse, fraud, negligence, criminal acts, impairment.

Accreditation

Process that approves nursing programs and their quality standards.

Licensure

Legal permission to practice nursing within a jurisdiction.

Certification

Specialty recognition indicating expertise in a nursing area.

Torts: negligence

Unintentional wrongful acts; must prove duty, breach, causation, damages.

Torts: malpractice

Negligence or injury due to professional malpractice by a nurse or clinician.

Torts: intentional torts (examples)

Assault, battery, false imprisonment, defamation, invasion of privacy.

Legal safeguards: competent practice

Practice within the nurse’s education, training, and licensure limits.

Informed consent

Provider explains procedure, risks, benefits, and alternatives; patient or surrogate consents.

Documentation

Accurate, timely, and complete recording of nursing care and decisions.

Following policy

Adherence to institutional policies and procedures to ensure safe practice.

Informed consent: who can consent for another

Parent, legal guardian, court-appointed representative, durable POA, emancipated minor.

Incident reports

Used for risk management and quality improvement; record facts only; not placed in the patient chart.

Policy: ACA

Affordable Care Act; expands access and prohibits denial for pre-existing conditions.

Policy: ANA

American Nurses Association; sets ethical standards and advocates for nurses.

Staffing

Adequate staffing is a legal requirement; understaffing increases patient safety risks.

EMTALA

Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act; requires screening, stabilization, and treatment for ED patients; applies to Medicare-funded hospitals.

EMTALA steps

1) Medical Screening Exam (MSE) by a qualified provider; 2) Stabilize before discharge/transfer; 3) Transfer when benefits exceed risks and receiving facility agrees.

EMTALA TIP

Everyone Must Be Treated and Left Alive (or safely transferred).