Chapter 6 Flashcards
Which statement regarding the responsibility of a manager in advocacy is accurate?
A) Advocacy is a management function and not a leadership role
B) Managers advocate only as needed to meet organizational goals
C) Managers should advocate for patients as well as subordinates
D) Professional advocacy is not a primary concern for most managers
C) Managers should advocate for patients as well as subordinates
Advocacy is helping others to grow and self-actualize. The manager must be an
advocate for patients, subordinates, and the nursing profession. The remaining
statements are not accurate descriptions of the manager’s role as advocate.
How is the action of advocacy described?
A) Informing others of their rights and making certain they have sufficient
information to make decisions
B) Learning about the need for a decision and then making a good decision for other
people
C) Supporting an individual’s right to make a decision even when they do not have
accurate information
D) Protecting the rights of patients in accordance with the law
A) Informing others of their rights and making certain they have sufficient
information to make decisions
The advocate informs others of their rights and makes certain they have sufficient
information to make decisions. The remaining options are incorrect when describing the
action associated with advocacy.
Even after a lengthy discussion concerning the ramifications, a patient wants to leave
the hospital against medical advice (AMA). What would the nurse do in the role of
patient advocate?
A) Encourage the patient to wait until morning to leave the hospital
B) Ask family members to help talk the patient out of the decision
C) Call the security guard to escort the patient off hospital property
D) Make sure the patient has appropriate follow-up appointments
D) Make sure the patient has appropriate follow-up appointments
As advocate for this patient, you have made sure he is informed of the ramifications of
leaving AMA; however, it is a patient’s right to refuse treatment. The other options fail
to recognize the patient’s right to make autonomous choices.
Which statement about a national Patient Bill of Rights is accurate?
A) Not yet been enacted by the federal government
B) Became the law of the land
C) Became legally binding in every state
D) Has not been beneficial to patients
A) Not yet been enacted by the federal government
Although there has been significant progress in the field of patient rights since 1960,
there is still no comprehensive federal legislation directed at the granting and protection
of patient rights.
Who plays a primary role in ensuring that workers have reasonable, working schedules? A) Unions B) Top administrators C) Managers D) Federal government
C) Managers
In workplace advocacy, the manager works to see that the work environment is both
safe and conducive to professional and personal growth for subordinates. The other
options play a role in such situations but the manager has the primary responsibility.
Which situation is a reality for whistle-blowers? A) Retaliation against them is illegal B) Fellow workers are supportive of them C) Federal and State law protects them D) They are often afraid to speak out
D) They are often afraid to speak out
Although whistle-blower protection has been advocated for at the federal level and has
been passed in some states, many employees are reluctant to report unsafe conditions for
fear of retaliation. Nurses should check with their state association to assess the status of
whistle-blower protection in their state. Retaliation and resentment still exist against
these individuals in many situations.
Which statement is true regarding political action committees (PACs)?
A) They attempt to persuade legislators to vote in a particular way
B) They are comprised of volunteers who are interested in politics
C) Their focus is the passage of specific pieces of legislature
D) They appear to have little influence with law makers
A) They attempt to persuade legislators to vote in a particular way
PACs of the Congress of Industrial Organizations attempt to persuade legislators to vote
in a particular way. Lobbyists of the PAC may be members of a group interested in a
particular law or paid agents of the group that wants a specific bill passed or defeated.
Currently, PACs appear to have a significant amount of influence on law makers and the
legislative process.
Which factor has the greatest influence on a legislator?
A) Form letters from group members
B) Individual phone calls from constituents
C) Meeting with a strong collective political group
D) A personal visit by an individual constituent
C) Meeting with a strong collective political group
Legislators and policy makers generally are more willing to deal with a group rather
than individuals; thus, joining and supporting professional organizations allow nurses to
become active in lobbying for a stronger nurse practice act or for the creation or
expansion of advanced nursing roles.
Which strategies would demonstrate an understanding of effective preparation for a
television interview to discuss issues affecting nursing today? Select all that apply
A) Be focused on key points.
B) Introduce statistics that support the key points
C) Repeat key points several times during the interview
D) Provide background material related to the key points
A) Be focused on key points.
B) Introduce statistics that support the key points
C) Repeat key points several times during the interview
D) Provide background material related to the key points
The best strategies for a television interview are to be prepared and to stick to three or
four key points that will drive home your message, and repeat them during the
interview. Concentrating on popular points is not necessarily where the focus should be
directed.
What statement is true concerning nurses as a political body?
A) They are very committed to both their profession and the political process
B) Many are active members of the American Nurses Association (ANA)
C) Their primary focus is to speak out on consumer health-related issues
D) They have not yet recognized the full potential of political activity
D) They have not yet recognized the full potential of political activity
As a whole, the nursing profession has not yet recognized the full potential of collective
political activity. Nurses must exert their collective influence and make their concerns
known to policy makers before they can have a major impact on political and legislative
outcomes. The remaining options are not true of nurses in general.
Which leadership role is associated with advocacy?
A) Create a climate where advocacy and its associated risk-taking are valued
B) Give subordinates and patients adequate information to make informed decisions
C) Ensure that rights and values of patients supersede those of the health-care
providers
D) Seek appropriate consultation when advocacy results in intrapersonal or
interpersonal conflict
A) Create a climate where advocacy and its associated risk-taking are valued
A leadership role associated with advocacy is to create a climate where advocacy and its
associated risk-taking are valued. Management functions include the following: give
subordinates and patients adequate information to make informed decisions; ensure that
rights and values of patients supersede those of the health-care providers; and seek
appropriate consultation when advocacy results in intrapersonal or interpersonal
conflict.
Which management function is associated with advocacy?
A) Awareness of current legislative efforts affecting nursing practice and
organizational and unit management
B) Role modeling proactive involvement in health-care policy through both formal
and informal interactions with the media and legislative representatives
C) Participation in professional nursing organizations and other groups that seek to
advance the profession of nursing
D) Assertively advocating on behalf of patients and subordinates when an
intermediary is necessary
A) Awareness of current legislative efforts affecting nursing practice and
organizational and unit management
A management function associated with advocacy is awareness of current legislative
efforts affecting nursing practice and organizational and unit management. Leadership
roles include the following: role models’ proactive involvement in health-care policy
through both formal and informal interactions with the media and legislative
representatives; participates in professional nursing organizations and other groups that
seek to advance the profession of nursing; assertively advocate on behalf of patients and
subordinates when an intermediary is necessary.
How can nurses act as advocates? Select all that apply.
A) Helping others make informed decisions
B) Directly intervening on behalf of others
C) Providing consent to treat for the cognitively impaired patients
D) Making health-care decisions for those who are not able to do so
A) Helping others make informed decisions
C) Providing consent to treat for the cognitively impaired patients
D) Making health-care decisions for those who are not able to do so
Nurses may act as advocates by either helping others make informed decisions, by
acting as intermediary in the environment, or by directly intervening on behalf of others.
Advocates do not make decisions or provide consent but rather educate patients so they
can be informed.
Which characteristic associated with being a patient increases the need for advocacy?
Select all that apply.
A) Loss of physical freedom as a result of extended hospitalizations
B) Decreased independence due to physical or psychosocial limitations
C) Physical or psychosocial limitations negatively impacted autonomy
D) Illness tends to make an individual more vulnerable to unethical activities
A) Loss of physical freedom as a result of extended hospitalizations
B) Decreased independence due to physical or psychosocial limitations
C) Physical or psychosocial limitations negatively impacted autonomy
D) Illness tends to make an individual more vulnerable to unethical activities
Patient advocacy is necessary because disease almost always results in decreased independence, loss of freedom, and interference with the ability to make choices autonomously. In addition, aging, as well as physical, mental, or social disability may make individuals more vulnerable and in need of advocacy. It is not true that cognitive function is impaired as a result of chronic and/or acute illness.
Which are common areas requiring nurseñpatient advocacy? Select all that apply.
A) Securing patient consents
B) Preventing medication errors
C) Facilitating access to health-care services
D) Respect for patient dignity and cultural values
A) Securing patient consents
B) Preventing medication errors
C) Facilitating access to health-care services
D) Respect for patient dignity and cultural values
Common areas requiring nurseñpatient advocacy include inadequate patient consents;
medical errors; access to health care; and respect for patient dignity and cultural values.
While hospitalization is expensive, education on this subject is not considered a nursing
advocacy role.
Which intervention demonstrates that the nurse-manager is to advocate for patients in
common areas of concern? Select all that apply.
A) Staffing a unit with sufficient care providers
B) Orienting staff to safely use a new patient lift
C) Providing an in-service on culturally meeting end-of-life needs
D) Arranging for patient consultations with members of the financial office
A) Staffing a unit with sufficient care providers
B) Orienting staff to safely use a new patient lift
C) Providing an in-service on culturally meeting end-of-life needs
D) Arranging for patient consultations with members of the financial office
Common areas for managers to advocate for patients include distribution of resources;
use of technology; end-of-life decisions; and health-care reimbursement. While
aesthetics is an important consideration, it is not a common area for managers to act as
advocators
Whose rights do the legislative controls of nursing practice primarily protect? A) Patients B) Subordinates C) Managers D) Administrators
A) Patients
The legislative controls of nursing practice primarily protect the rights of patients.
Protection of those identified by the other options while important is the primary focus
of the nursing practice legislative bodies.
Patients were often denied basic human rights until when? A) 1940s B) 1950s C) 1960s D) 1970s
C) 1960s
Until the 1960s patients had few rights; in fact, patients before then often were denied
basic human rights. Conditions improved by the 1970s.
The Patient’s Bill of Rights established by which body has the most legal authority?
A) A health-care organization
B) A professional medical organization
C) A regulation professional nursing organization
D) A specific state
D) A specific state
A bill of rights that has become law or state regulation has the most legal authority
because it provides the patient with legal recourse. A bill of rights issued by health-care
organization and professional associations is not legally binding but may influence
federal or state funding and certainly should be considered professionally binding.
Which standard of the American Nurses Association (ANA) Scope and Standards for
Nurse Administrators suggests that nurse administrators should advocate for
subordinates as well as patients?
A) II
B) III
C) IV
D) V
D) V
Standard V of the ANA Scope and Standards for Nurse Administrators suggests that
nurse administrators should advocate for subordinates as well as patients. This issue is
not addressed in the other options.
Which nursing intervention demonstrates attention to the nursing values central to
patient advocacy? Select all that apply.
A) Assuring the patient that their wishes will be respected regarding the care they
receive
B) Identifying the patient’s religious dietary practices when discussing a prescribed
diet
C) Answering the patient’s questions regarding the alternatives to a proposed
procedure
D) Suggesting to a patient that a social services consult would help with discharge
needs
A) Assuring the patient that their wishes will be respected regarding the care they
receive
B) Identifying the patient’s religious dietary practices when discussing a prescribed
diet
C) Answering the patient’s questions regarding the alternatives to a proposed
procedure
D) Suggesting to a patient that a social services consult would help with discharge
needs
The nursing values central to advocacy emphasize caring, autonomy, respect, and
empowerment. While appropriate, comforting a patient is not an act of advocacy in this
situation.
Which strategy demonstrates an understanding of the management’s role as advocate for
their subordinates? Select all that apply.
A) Staff representatives on all unit committees
B) Monthly ìbrown bag lunchesî with the staff
C) Requests revising criteria for granting a ìleave of absenceî
D) Working with primary care providers to expand standing nursing orders
A) Staff representatives on all unit committees
B) Monthly ìbrown bag lunchesî with the staff
C) Requests revising criteria for granting a ìleave of absenceî
D) Working with primary care providers to expand standing nursing orders
The following are suggestions for creating an environment that promotes subordinate
advocacy: Invite collaborative decision making; get to know staff personally; ìgo to batî
for staff when needed; and promote nurse autonomy. Rather than anticipating
educational needs, the manager advocates by asking for and then respecting their
suggestions by planning accordingly.
