Stress Management

Question 1

A manager noticed a competent employee has become forgetful and has made errors in the past few months. This type of behavior is unusual for this employee. What action should the manager take?

1. Issue a written warning to the employee.
2. Meet individually with the employee to discuss the behavior.
3. Ask other staff members if they have noticed the behavior.
4. Report the employee to the human resources department.

Answer 1

2. Meet individually with the employee to discuss the behavior.

Rationale 1: It is premature to issue a written warning.
Rationale 2: Meeting with the employee will provide information. The employee may be experiencing unusual stress at home, may be unaware of his or her behavior, or may have a medical condition. The first step should be to address and assess the situation.
Rationale 3: It is not appropriate for the manager to involve other staff members.
Rationale 4: It is premature to report the employee to the human resources department.

Question 2

A rural hospital has been at capacity for the past 3 months. The chief nursing officer (CNO) has heard numerous complaints from the nursing staff. Most of the complaints are issues related to other nursing departments and are minor. How should the CNO interpret these complaints?

1. The nursing staff members are inefficient in managing the client load.
2. This is a typical reaction among nursing departments.
3. The nursing staff is stressed due to a sustained increased workload.
4. The nurses are ready to unionize

Answer 2

3. The nursing staff is stressed due to a sustained increased workload.

Question 3

A busy ICU unit has a high noise level. This frustrates the charge nurse in part because it is difficult to focus when entering physicians orders into the electronic medical record. Which would be the most appropriate action by the ICU nurse manager?

1. Decrease the noise level on the unit.
2. Tell the staff members that they need to be quiet when sitting at the nurses station.
3. Close the doors to the clients rooms.
4. Rearrange the space so that an area that is quieter is available for order entry.

Answer 3

4. Rearrange the space so that an area that is quieter is available for order entry.

Question 4

A medical-surgical nurse manager has received a complaint by a client regarding the noise level on the unit. The manager reviews the schedule and harshly reprimands the nursing staff who cared for the client. What is the evaluation of this managers action?

1. It is appropriate and timely.
2. The action is inappropriate and increases the nursing staffs level of stress.
3. The action is inappropriate and should be reported.
4. It is appropriate and should be a model for future disciplinary actions.

Answer 4

2. The action is inappropriate and increases the nursing staffs level of stress.

Question 5

The nurse manager holds a staff meeting and announces, I want to aggressively manage the stress on this unit. Why would the manager have this goal?

1. Stress has a negative impact on the functioning of the unit.
2. If the stress level is too low, people become apathetic and bored.
3. Low stress levels will reduce turnover on the unit.
4. Coping mechanisms only work when stress is high.

Answer 5

1. Stress has a negative impact on the functioning of the unit.