Sullivan, Effective Leadership and Management, 8/e
Chapter 10
Question 1
Type: MCSA
The nurse manager needs to delegate specific tasks to the charge nurse of the unit. Which action is an appropriate
use of delegation?
1. Instructing the charge nurse to assume a client team
2. Asking the charge nurse to discipline a nurse on the unit
3. Having the charge nurse lead a nursing quality assurance task force
4. Evaluating all unlicensed personnel assigned to the unit
Client Need: Safe Effective Care Environment
Client Need Sub: Management of Care
Nursing/Integrated Concepts: Nursing Process: Implementation
Learning Outcome: 10-1: Describe how delegation involves responsibility, accountability, and authority.
Question 2
Type: MCSA
Which statement made by the nurse manager is an example of the first step of delegation?
1. “I must choose a person with good time management skills to be the delegate for this task.”
Sullivan, Effective Leadership and Management, 8/e Test Bank
2. “I plan to evaluate the outcomes of your work in 6 months.”
3. “I am going to delegate the responsibility of creating the vacation schedule.”
4. “I have some additional information that will help you in this task.”
Rationale 2: Overdelegation occurs when the delegator loses control over a situation by providing the delegate
with too much authority or responsibility. Discipline of an employee is a responsibility of the manager that cannot
be delegated because of the confidentiality and controversy associated with it.
Rationale 3: Reverse delegation occurs when a person with a lower rank (unit secretary) delegates to someone
with authority (nurse manager).
Rationale 4: Underdelegation occurs when full authority and responsibility are not transferred in a situation
where delegation would otherwise be appropriate.
Global Rationale:
Cognitive Level: Applying
Client Need: Safe Effective Care Environment
Client Need Sub: Management of Care
Nursing/Integrated Concepts: Nursing Process: Implementation
Learning Outcome: 10-1: Describe how delegation involves responsibility, accountability, and authority.
Question 4
Type: MCSA
The nurse prepares the medication ordered for the client. The nurse asks the nurse assistant to give the medication
when the client receives breakfast and to report on the task at its completion. The nurse assistant agrees. Which
component of the steps of delegation was violated by this request?
1. Defining the task
2. Deciding on the delegate
3. Determining the task
4. Reaching agreement
Sullivan, Effective Leadership and Management, 8/e Test Bank
Copyright 2013 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Client Need: Safe Effective Care Environment
Client Need Sub: Management of Care
Nursing/Integrated Concepts: Nursing Process: Implementation
Learning Outcome: 10-5: Explain how liability affects delegation.
Question 5
Type: MCSA
The novice nurse manager is hesitant to delegate tasks to competent, experienced staff nurses. Fear of which
factor is most likely to explain this hesitancy?
1. Overburdening others
2. Decreased personal satisfaction
3. Increased liability
4. Competition and criticism
Client Need: Safe Effective Care Environment
Client Need Sub: Management of Care
Nursing/Integrated Concepts: Nursing Process: Implementation
Learning Outcome: 10-4: Identify obstacles that can impede effective delegation.
Question 6
Type: MCSA
Which situation is an example of reverse delegation?
1. The nurse manager asks the staff nurse to attend an in-service on a new product.
Sullivan, Effective Leadership and Management, 8/e Test Bank
2. The nursing supervisor asks the nurse manager to attend a meeting with the physicians.
3. The licensed practical nurse asks the nurse manager to administer insulin to her client.
4. The staff nurse asks the licensed practical nurse to record intake and output in his client’s charts.
Rationale 3: Resources such as qualified nurses, finances, and educational resources may be limited, which are
obstacles to delegation.
Rationale 4: Environmental factors such as a norm of crisis management as a result of poor job descriptions and
unclear chains of command are unsupportive to delegation.
Global Rationale:
Cognitive Level: Applying
Client Need: Safe Effective Care Environment
Client Need Sub: Management of Care
Nursing/Integrated Concepts: Nursing Process: Implementation
Learning Outcome: 10-4: Identify obstacles that can impede effective delegation.
Question 8
Type: MCSA
The nursing supervisor states, “I really don’t have the time to delegate this task to a nurse manager. I can do it
faster!” What is the most likely basis for this statement?
1. The nursing supervisor does not have time to delegate.
2. The nursing supervisor’s job description needs to be redefined.
3. The nursing supervisor feels that he or she can do the job faster.
4. The nursing supervisor is concerned that staff is ill-prepared to assume additional responsibilities.
Client Need: Safe Effective Care Environment
Client Need Sub: Management of Care
Nursing/Integrated Concepts: Nursing Process: Implementation
Learning Outcome: 10-4: Identify obstacles that can impede effective delegation.
Sullivan, Effective Leadership and Management, 8/e Test Bank
Copyright 2013 by Pearson Education, Inc.
Question 9
Type: MCSA
What action is necessary by a delegate accepting delegation?
1. Accept all aspects of the task delegated.
2. Assume the delegator will serve as a mentor.
3. Clarify the time line and expectations.
4. Realize the delegate and delegator share responsibility.
Client Need: Safe Effective Care Environment
Client Need Sub: Management of Care
Nursing/Integrated Concepts: Nursing Process: Implementation
Learning Outcome: 10-2: Describe how effective delegation benefits the delegator, the delegate, the unit, and the
organization.
Question 10
Type: MCSA
The job description of the staff nurse states the nurse is responsible for attending hospital committee meetings as
assigned. The nurse manager asking the staff member to attend a risk management meeting is an example of
which concept?
1. Work assignment
2. Overdelegation
Sullivan, Effective Leadership and Management, 8/e Test Bank
3. Ineffective delegation
4. Transfer of authority
Rationale 2: The delegator and delegate share accountability to accomplish the task.
Rationale 3: The delegator must have the authority to assign the task.
Rationale 4: The delegate takes on the responsibility for completion of the task.
Rationale 5: Effective delegation transfers authority to the delegate to empower the delegate for success.
Global Rationale:
Cognitive Level: Applying
Client Need: Safe Effective Care Environment
Client Need Sub: Management of Care
Nursing/Integrated Concepts: Nursing Process: Planning
Learning Outcome: 10-1: Describe how delegation involves responsibility, accountability, and authority.
Question 13
Type: MCSA
Which is the most important reason that practicing and mastering effective delegation skills is essential for
nurses?
1. Higher job satisfaction
2. Greater confidence in skills
3. Higher client satisfaction
4. Increased time for other tasks
Sullivan, Effective Leadership and Management, 8/e Test Bank
Copyright 2013 by Pearson Education, Inc.