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Sullivan, Effective Leadership and Management, 8/e
Chapter 20
Question 1
Type: MCSA
The nurse executive and the human resources manager of a hospital meet to discuss the recent increase in nursing
turnover. Which statement reflects the best source of information about this increase?
1. “What have the exit interviews shown as reasons for the resignations?”
2. “Were the reports from nurse managers on resignations completed accurately?”
3. “What are the reasons given in the survey mailed out 6 weeks after resignation?”
4. “Has the human resources staff been making telephone calls to employees when they turn in their resignation?”
Client Need: Safe Effective Care Environment
Client Need Sub: Management of Care
Nursing/Integrated Concepts: Nursing Process: Evaluation
Learning Outcome: 20-5: Discuss what organizations can do to improve retention of nurses.
Question 2
Type: MCSA
Sullivan, Effective Leadership and Management, 8/e Test Bank
When the unit manager is on vacation, the charge nurse fills in the leadership role. While in this role the charge
nurse senses a change in the nursing staff’s morale. The staff appears happier, more energetic, and productive. The
charge nurse believes this change is a direct effect of which variable?
1. The staff’s relationship with the nurse manager
2. The environment of the organization
3. Level of compensation
4. The shifts they are working
Rationale 1: Voluntary absenteeism is not coming to work due to a problem that is under the employee’s control.
Child care problems are under the employee’s control.
Rationale 2: Absence frequency is the total number of distinct absence periods that an employee has been
absence and is not tied to a specific day.
Rationale 3: The fact that Friday is included in the total time lost is not significant.
Rationale 4: Involuntary absence is due to something outside the employee’s control such as illness.
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: 20-1: Explain absenteeism.
Question 4
Type: MCMA
The night nurse on the pediatric unit has resigned. The night staff is pleased, because this nurse constantly
complained about workload and alienated most staff members. What consequences may result from the loss of
this nurse?
Note: Credit will be given only if all correct choices and no incorrect choices are selected.
Standard Text: Select all that apply.
1. Use of agency nurses.
2. Opportunity for overtime.
3. Increase in enthusiasm.
4. A resignation spiral in which more nurses resign
5. Unit performance improves.
Rationale 3: Without the constant distraction of a complaining nurse the enthusiasm for the job may increase.
Rationale 4: Since the nurse who resigned was not liked and was classified as a “complainer” it is unlikely that
this resignation will trigger a resignation spiral.
Rationale 5: When a nurse who alienates coworkers and complains frequently leaves, the performance of the unit
may improve.
Global Rationale:
Cognitive Level: Analyzing
Client Need: Safe Effective Care Environment
Client Need Sub: Management of Care
Nursing/Integrated Concepts: Nursing Process: Implementation
Learning Outcome: 20-3: Describe how nursing turnover affects the organization.
Question 5
Type: MCSA
During a 3-month period, a nurse has missed work on six occasions due to unreliable child care. Another nurse
has missed 10 days due to a minor foot surgery. How should the manager categorize the reliability of these
nurses?
1. The nurse with the voluntary absence is more reliable.
2. The nurse with involuntary absences is more reliable.
3. It depends on other factors such as job performance when present.
4. Both nurses are unreliable due to excessive absences during this time period.
Cognitive Level: Analyzing
Client Need: Safe Effective Care Environment
Client Need Sub: Management of Care
Nursing/Integrated Concepts: Nursing Process: Evaluation
Learning Outcome: 20-1: Explain absenteeism.
Question 6
Type: MCSA
What is the best strategy the nurse manager can use to help retain nursing staff?
1. Relieve staff of the need to serve on committees in the institution.
2. Hire younger employees.
3. Require that the nurse sign a contract for at least 1 year of service.
4. Closely review applicant’s previous job history for length of commitment
Client Need: Safe Effective Care Environment
Client Need Sub: Management of Care
Nursing/Integrated Concepts: Nursing Process: Planning
Learning Outcome: 20-4: Explain voluntary turnover.
Question 7
Type: MCSA
A nurse who has been working the evening shift on the hospice unit for 5 years resigns. The nurse says, “I just
can’t work here anymore. These clients are so sad.” What is the best strategy for retaining this nurse?
1. Increasing the nurse’s salary
Sullivan, Effective Leadership and Management, 8/e Test Bank
2. Facilitating a transfer to another nursing unit
3. Offering the nurse a position on the day shift
4. Rewrite the nurse’s job description
Rationale 2: Salary compression is the effect of higher starting pay of new nurses resulting in lower salaries for
long-term employees. This results in the wages of new nurses being just below or even higher than that of current
nurses. This is a quick fix to a nursing shortage, but a dangerous strategy, and it may result in dissatisfaction and
turnover of more experienced nurses.
Rationale 3: Salary compression is not linked to merit raises for training staff.
Rationale 4: Salary compression is not linked to raises for current employees.
Global Rationale:
Cognitive Level: Analyzing
Client Need: Safe Effective Care Environment
Client Need Sub: Management of Care
Nursing/Integrated Concepts: Nursing Process: Evaluation
Learning Outcome: 20-5: Discuss what organizations can do to improve retention of nurses.
Question 9
Type: MCMA
A hospital is experiencing a high nursing turnover rate. One manager suggests offering sign-on bonuses to fill
positions. Why would the nurse executive veto this suggestion?
Note: Credit will be given only if all correct choices and no incorrect choices are selected.
Standard Text: Select all that apply.
1. Sign-on bonuses only attract newly licensed nurses.
2. The bonus schedule adversely impacts the current salary schedule.
3. Current nurses can be discouraged by this program.
4. Sign-on bonuses do not recognize achievement and loyalty.
5. Sign-on bonuses do not attract enough nurses to make it worth the time to set them up and advertise them.
Rationale 4: Sign-on bonuses are awarded just for taking the job. They do not recognize such attributes as
experience, achievement, and loyalty.
Rationale 5: Sign-on bonuses can attract a significant number of applicants and are a quick fix for shortages.
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: 20-3: Describe how nursing turnover affects the organization.
Question 10
Type: MCMA
The human resources (HR) department is considering motivating employees to maintain good attendance by
changing some organizational practices. Which items should HR consider?
Note: Credit will be given only if all correct choices and no incorrect choices are selected.
Standard Text: Select all that apply.
1. Offering a discount on the cost of on-site child care for employees with good attendance records
2. Encouraging managers to involve employees in the decision making on the unit
3. Banning an employee with more than two absences in a pay period from working overtime in the next pay
period
4. Working with managers to change the culture of the units on which absences are frequent
5. Entering the names of employees who have no absences in a 3-month period in a drawing for a paid day off
Rationale 5: A reward for having no absences is a change in organizational practice.
Global Rationale:
Cognitive Level: Analyzing
Client Need: Safe Effective Care Environment
Client Need Sub: Management of Care
Nursing/Integrated Concepts: Nursing Process: Planning
Learning Outcome: 20-2: Discuss ways to manage absenteeism.
Question 11
Type: MCMA
A nurse manager has reduced absenteeism by increasing each nurse’s job responsibilities. Why is this strategy
effective?
Note: Credit will be given only if all correct choices and no incorrect choices are selected.
Standard Text: Select all that apply.
1. Nurses who feel their job is important realize that others depend upon their presence at work.
2. A nurse who is given additional work responsibilities must work harder to prevent termination.
3. Nurses who have greater responsibilities do not stress over minor responsibilities any longer.
4. A nurse with less responsibility is always less motivated.
5. Having greater responsibilities enriches the job experience.
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: Evaluation
Learning Outcome: 20-2: Discuss ways to manage absenteeism.
Question 12
Type: MCSA
Despite the nurse manager’s best efforts to retain an experienced nurse, the nurse leaves for a job in a competing
hospital. Which option reflects the most important thing the manager must do now?
1. Find a replacement to hire.
2. Have human resources interview the nurse who left.
3. Manage personal feelings of defeat.
4. Decrease the impact of the hospital grapevine.
Client Need: Safe Effective Care Environment
Client Need Sub: Management of Care
Nursing/Integrated Concepts: Nursing Process: Planning
Learning Outcome: 20-6: Discuss what managers can do to help retain nurses.
Question 13
Type: MCMA
Hospital management is brainstorming ways to reduce absenteeism. Which suggestions from this session deserve
further investigation?
Sullivan, Effective Leadership and Management, 8/e Test Bank
