Marquis Leadership 8e Ch 16: Meeting Staff Socialization

Which statement best describes mentorship?

A) The intensity and duration of relationships are similar in mentorship and preceptorship

B) Staff cannot be assigned to become mentors. It is a role voluntarily chosen by the mentor

C) Mentees must be willing to put aside their personal goals and beliefs in an effort to identify more closely with their mentor

D) Most nurses will have the opportunity for many mentor relationships during their careers

Ans: B

Feedback:

The mentor makes a conscious decision to assist the protegee in career development, with the relationship usually lasting several years. The remaining statements are not accurate regarding mentorships.

2. What would be the most helpful intervention to take to help a new RN adjust to the professional nursing role?

A) Advise the new RN to avoid confrontations with doctors whenever possible

B) Advise the new RN that this is the real world not the textbook one

C) Be alert to signs and symptoms of the shock phase of role transition

D) Be alert to signs that the new RN has not shed nursing school values

Ans: C

Feedback:

Managers should be alert to signs and symptoms of the shock phase of role transition. Managers should also ensure that some of the new nurse's values are supported and encouraged so that work and academic values can blend. The remaining options do not address the needs of the new RN appropriately.

Which statement best describes mentorship?

A) The intensity and duration of relationships are similar in mentorship and preceptorship

B) Staff cannot be assigned to become mentors. It is a role voluntarily chosen by the mentor

C) Mentees must be willing to put aside their personal goals and beliefs in an effort to identify more closely with their mentor

D) Most nurses will have the opportunity for many mentor relationships during their careers

Ans: B

Feedback:

The mentor makes a conscious decision to assist the protegee in career development, with the relationship usually lasting several years. The remaining statements are not accurate regarding mentorships.

2. What would be the most helpful intervention to take to help a new RN adjust to the professional nursing role?

A) Advise the new RN to avoid confrontations with doctors whenever possible

B) Advise the new RN that this is the real world not the textbook one

C) Be alert to signs and symptoms of the shock phase of role transition

D) Be alert to signs that the new RN has not shed nursing school values

Ans: C

Feedback:

Managers should be alert to signs and symptoms of the shock phase of role transition. Managers should also ensure that some of the new nurse's values are supported and encouraged so that work and academic values can blend. The remaining options do not address the needs of the new RN appropriately.

3. Which statement best describes the manager's role in socialization?

A) Providing the employee with organizational rules and regulations

B) Providing the new employee with a good preceptor

C) Ensuring that there are sufficient numbers of good role models

D) Sharing organizational values, expected attitudes, and history

Ans: D

Feedback:

New group members must be socialized into the group, and these socialization efforts are led by the manager.

4. You overhear an experienced nurses say to a new nurse, Sorry you won't be able to join us for our weekly get-together at the local yogurt shop. I see you are going to be here charting for a while yet. What is this an example of?

A) Behavior that supports positive sanctions

B) An application of a sanction regarding group norms

C) Constructive feedback about expected group norms

D) Role modeling desired behavior

Ans: B

Feedback:

Negative sanctions provide cues that enable people to evaluate their performance and modify behavior when needed. In this case, the experienced nurse is letting the new nurse know that the group's weekly outing is important, and on that day the staff makes sure they finish their work on time. It may also suggest that detailed charting is not valued.

5. Which action would be the most likely to result in encouraging evidence-based practice?

A) Stress the need to base practice on research findings during orientation of new graduates.

B) Include a statement of the need for evidence-based practice in the philosophy.

C) Reprimand nurses who do not use research during the annual evaluations.

D) Provide a computer program to nurses for access to the latest nursing research.

Ans: D

Feedback:

Providing available research for the staff is the most concrete action an organization could take to encourage nurses to incorporate research in practice. None of the remaining options provides the staff with the tools to implement or encourage evidence- based practice.

6. What is the relationship between an employee and a role model?

A) Active

B) Nonverbal

C) Encouraged by the role model

D) Passive

Ans: D Feedback:

The relationship between an employee and a role model is passive in that the role model does not actively seek the emulation of the employee.

7. Which intervention by the unit supervisor best assist the RN who has just been promoted to charge nurse to adjust to the new role?

A) Take the RN out to lunch to congratulate the nurse on the promotion

B) Encourage the RN to meet with staff peers in the organization

C) Explain to the RN on the need for underling respect

D) Inform the RN of the past performance of new employees

Ans: B

Feedback:

There should be a management group in the organization with which the new manager can consult. The new manager should be encouraged to use the group as a resource. The remaining options are limited in their importance in successfully adjusting to a management role.

8. What is the initial task when organizing a class to prepare nurses to function in the new neonatal ICU?

A) Identifying possible learning resources

B) Identifying any difference between current and needed skills

C) Identifying current level of knowledge

D) Identifying the knowledge or skill needed

Ans: D

Feedback:

Developing a training program starts with identifying the knowledge or skill needed. The other options are relevant but do not have the priority of the correct option.

9. Which statement about education is the accurate?

A) Education generally has an immediate use

B) Managers have a responsibility to see that their staff is well educated

C) Recognizing and encouraging educational pursuits are a leadership role

D) Education always results in increased productivity

Ans: C

Feedback:

Although training has an immediate use, education is designed to develop the person in a broader sense. A leader will encourage continuous learning from all employees.

Education is not a guarantee of productivity.

10. Which statement best describes andragogy?

A) Andragogy techniques are usually ineffective for mature learners

B) Andragogy relies on structure and direction

C) Andragogy works well with people who have had life experiences

D) Andragogy works best with teacher-led activities

Ans: C

Feedback:

Andragogy works well with those who have had life experiences, because they are mature and can take part in their own learning experiences. In this type of learning the learner is self-directed rather than dependent. None of the remaining options accurately describes andragogy.

11. What does readiness to learn imply for individuals?

A) Have acquired the skills necessary for what is to be learned

B) Have the necessary motivation to learn

C) Are in an atmosphere that encourages learning

D) Are mature students with much experience

Ans: A

Feedback:

Readiness means that the individual has the prerequisites to move to the next stage of learning. The prerequisites could be behavior or prior learning. None of the other options accurately describe readiness to learn.

12. How can the RN best teach a patient how to self-administer insulin?

A) Schedule a long, uninterrupted session

B) Explain the most complicated part first

C) Use a dynamic lecture technique

D) Teach in short, frequent sessions

Ans: D

Feedback:

When learning motor skills, spaced practice is more effective than massed practice. The other options would be less effective.

13. What does social learning theory suggest?

A) Mentors are not effective in social learning

B) Most behavior is learned by direct experience and observation

C) Individuals who make mistakes learn better than those who do not

D) Individuals learn best when left on their own

Ans: B

Feedback:

According to social learning theory, knowledge is frequently obtained through vicarious experiences, such as observing someone's actions. None of the other options accurately describe a true statement regarding the social learning theory.

14. What is the emphasis for the manager in the coaching role?

A) Solving problems for the employee

B) Showing employees how to work within the system

C) Helping employees reach an optimum level of performance

D) Redirecting employees to meet organizational goals

Ans: C

Feedback:

In coaching, the emphasis is on assisting the employee to recognize greater options, to clarify statements, and to grow. The other options are focused on doing for the learner rather than encouraging the learner to do for themselves.

15. What is the first step to developing an educational program for an organization?

A) Identifying the resources available to meet the needs

B) Identifying the desired skills or knowledge the staff should have

C) Explaining to the team that human resources should be doing this work

D) Assessing the staff's willing to learn new skills

Ans: B

Feedback:

Identifying the desired skills or knowledge the staff should have is the first step in developing an educational program. While the other options are relevant, they lack the organizational priority of the correct option.

16. What is the best method for determining the effectiveness of a staff development program for managing IV puncture sites?

A) Having class participants evaluate the instructor and the class

B) Giving participants an examination or test at the conclusion of the course

C) Having a documented decrease in the unit's IV site infections

D) Observing staff implement and document the changes recommended

Ans: D

Feedback:

Instructor evaluation supports effective teaching but not learning of the new skills. Testing someone at the end of educational training does not confirm that the learning changed behavior, which is the primary goal of staff development. There needs to be some method of follow-up to observe whether a behavior change occurred, showing that the education was effective. Observation of the staff will fulfill this need. Having a decrease in IV site infections may or may not be the result of the staff implementing the educational program.

17. Which is a common feature of a learning organization?

A) A tolerance of mistakes

B) Hiring RNs with baccalaureate degrees

C) Encouraging a variety of visions

D) Stressing individual learning

Ans: A

Feedback:

Learning organizations have a shared vision and promote team learning. A common feature of learning organizations is their tolerance for mistakes. The mistakes should be learning opportunities. The remaining options do not support this aspect of a learning organization.

18. What are often neglected areas of the indoctrination process?

1. Induction

2. Orientation

3. Socialization

4. Re-socialization

A) 1, 2

B) 1, 3

C) 2, 4

D) 3, 4

Ans: D

Feedback:

Socialization and re-socialization are often neglected areas of the indoctrine process.

19. What contributes to a nurse's difficult resocialization? Select all that apply.

A) Role ambiguity

B) Role overload

C) Inability to meet job demands

D) Past work experience

Ans: A, B, C, D Feedback:

Difficulties with resocialization usually center on unclear role expectations (role ambiguity), an inability to meet job demands, or deficiencies in motivation. Role strain and role overload contribute to the problem. Past work experience is not a factor in creating a difficult resocialization.

20. Training and education are important parts of staff development. Who is responsible for the education and training of staff?

A) Preceptor

B) Education department

C) Manager and preceptor

D) Manager and education department

Ans: D

Feedback:

Managers and education department staff have a shared responsibility for the education and training of staff. It is not the responsibility of the other options.

21. Which action demonstrates the leadership role to the socialization and education of new nursing staff during their orientation?

A) Discusses the value the unit places upon patient satisfaction

B) Addresses all questions regarding the responsibilities of the RN

C) Schedules orientation sessions at times when patient acuity is at its lowest

D) Plans for budget constraints so that educational needs are minimally impacted

Ans: A

Feedback:

Clarifying unit norms and values to all new employees is a leadership responsibility; the remaining options are appropriate management responsibilities.

22. What negative outcome can result from the decentralization of the responsibilities of staff development?

A) Poor staff retention

B) Deficient nursing care

C) Increased role ambiguity

D) Decreased nursing autonomy

Ans: C

Feedback:

Some difficulties associated with decentralized staff development include the conflict created by role ambiguity whenever two people share responsibility. Role ambiguity is sometimes reduced when staff development personnel and managers delineate the difference between training and education. None of the other options are recognized as a result of decentralization of staff development.

23. What term is used to identify previously acquired skills that are necessary for further learning?

A) Experiential factors

B) Transfer of learning

C) Reinforcement

D) Chunking

Ans: A Feedback:

Experiential factors are skills previously acquired that are necessary for the next stage of learning. Transfer of learning refers to the goal of training to transfer new learning to the work setting. Once the behavior or skill is learned, it needs continual reinforcement until it becomes internalized. Chunking occurs when two independent items of information are presented and then grouped together into one unit.

24. Which statement demonstrates understanding of the concept of the knowledge of results?

A) These are the goals for today's lecture.

B) Today each of you demonstrated an understanding of patient focused care.

C) As RNs on this unit, you will need to be proficient in assessing for depression.

D) There will be a short quiz on today's material to assure you understand the material.

Ans: B

Feedback:

Research has demonstrated that people learn faster when they are informed of their progress. The knowledge of results must be automatic, immediate, and meaningful to the task at hand. People need to experience a feeling of progress, and they need to know how they are doing when measured against expected outcomes. The other options failed to demonstrate an understanding of that need.

25. The nurse-manager stresses the importance of learning a new skill to achieving the unit's goal of patient satisfaction. This demonstrates understanding of which concept of learning?

A) Readiness

B) Motivation

C) Task learning

D) Transfer of learning

Ans: C

Feedback:

If learners are informed in advance about the benefits of learning specific content and adopting new behaviors, they are more likely to be motivated to attend the training sessions and learn. Telling employees why and how specific educational or training programs will benefit them personally is a vital management function in staff development. None of the other options demonstrates association with this concept of learning.