Grohar-Murray TIF
Chapter 3: Interactive Processes of Leadership
Learning Objective 1
Define the communication process.
1. The nurse manager is planning a meeting for the staff. Place the steps in this communication
process in the order in which they will occur.
1. Transmission
2. Encoding
3. Response
4. Ideation
5. Receiving
6. Decoding
2. A nurse manager is continuously striving for better communication in the department. Which
action is the final activity the nurse manager might use in enhancing communication skills?
1. Decide the best way to say exactly what is meant.
2. Develop an appropriate, thoughtful response.
3. Ensure that the receiver understood the communication.
4. Think about the goals of the communication.
3. Which situation indicates the highest level in the communication process?
1. The night shift nurse receives report about patients from a taped recording after
the day nurse left for the day.
2. Two nurses discuss patient care in the hallway while walking towards the
cafeteria.
3. The day nurse and the night nurse finish discussing patient care just after a care
provider starts asking them questions.
4. The night nurse and the day nurse go to a quiet room to discuss their mutual
patients.
4. Which factors might potentially affect communication clarity? Select all that apply.
1. A 63-year-old nurse discussing work with a 25-year-old
2. Two female staff nurses talking after work
3. An Asian student attending nursing school in the United States
4. A staff nurse discussing changing policies with the manager
5. A nursing supervisor talking with a another supervisor
5. Which represents the greatest potential barrier to effective communication?
1. The nurse gives discharge instructions to a couple in their early 80s.
2. The nurse manager hires a new nurse originally from the Philippines.
3. The emergency nurse receives a client via ambulance transferred for confusion.
4. The nurse obtains an admission history from the parents of an adopted child.
6. A nurse has just attended a conference, and is expected to present the highlights to colleagues.
As an inexperienced speaker, this nurse is practicing her speech delivery. Which statement
indicates a lack of understanding how easily this communication could be distorted?
1. “I know I can better connect with my audience with good eye contact.”
2. “If I repeat a complicated point in another way, comprehension can be improved.”
3. “The topic is not complicated, so I don’t have to worry about misunderstanding.”
4. “If I know the background of the audience, it can help me tailor the content.”
7. A newly hired nurse manager is working on gaining staff trust through open communication.
1. Decide how to say what you want conveyed.
2. Ensure that the communication was understood.
3. Develop an appropriate and thoughtful response.
4. Think about the goals of the communication.
8. To show excellent communication skills, which skill is an important consideration for the
nurse leader?
1. Sending friendly messages
2. Succeeding through repeating messages
3. Crafting messages with appropriate terminology
4. Requiring title use when speaking to staff
9. The nurse manager is concerned about a family member’s complaint regarding unprofessional
behavior of a nurse on the unit. Which is the most effective method to address this issue?
1. Address the complaint with the individual nurse via the telephone right away.
2. Send an e-mail to the nursing staff about expected professional behavior.
3. Post a memo to the nursing staff about expected professional behavior.
4. Discuss the complaint with the individual nurse face-to-face as soon as possible.
Learning Objective 4
Evaluate the components of group dynamics.
10. Which are considered formal groups? Select all that apply.
1. The unit staff meet once monthly after work and discuss problems encountered
recently.
2. Several people work together to facilitate a policy change for discharge
procedures.
3. The nurse managers meet once monthly to discuss issues varying from unit to
unit.
4. Once every quarter, the nursing supervisors work on projects assigned by the
nursing administrator.
5. The staff in two departments have a combined holiday party to increase available
funds.
11. A novice nursing supervisor needs to have a group form to work on a new initiative for the
organization. Which statement describes the way most productive groups are formed?
1. Relationship building is not necessary, as the group forms because members
already work together.
2. The informal leaders of the group make sure everyone knows the purpose, to
avoid conflict.
3. Members with common goals come together and start working on the group’s
tasks.
4. People in the group work toward a common understanding of the purpose and
member roles.
12. How should a nurse leader assist a group meeting to stay on task and on time? Select all that
apply.
1. Set a convenient and quiet meeting time and place.
2. Allow only the key members to participate in group discussions.
3. Personally evaluate each idea as it comes up and then decide to keep or discard.
4. Ensure that members know what is expected as completed “prework.”
5. Distribute an agenda prior to the meeting to ensure that all are prepared.
Learning Objective 5
Identify the components of team building.
13. If part of a group’s process is team building, which is the correct order of these activities?
1. Learn about each potential member’s past experiences with the task at hand.
2. Schedule an overnight retreat with activities meant to bring group cohesiveness.
3. Observe group meetings to determine areas where problems could develop.
4. Send e-mail notification of the establishment and overall group purpose.
5. Determine the group’s effectiveness, and intervene as necessary.
14. Which situation best exemplifies the nurse manager as a team builder?
1. Every year, the nurse manager does staff member evaluations to determine pay
raises.
2. The nurse manager controls the staff meetings so the staff can get back to work
quickly.
3. The nurse manager encourages exemplary task performance on the unit.
4. The nurse manager posts the unit’s positive accomplishments from the past month
in the break room.
15. Which statement indicates that the novice nurse manager might need more instruction in
effective team building?
1. “The more people who are involved in this group, the harder the group
outcomes will be to attain.”
2. “The more frequently this group meets, the more quickly and
more efficiently work will be done.”
3. “If I am better able to recognize a sick group, the less time the group will lose
completing the task.”
4. “If I can appropriately redirect the discussion to the task at hand, more
constructive communication will occur.”