Question 1

An experienced nurse volunteers to serve on a task force intended to improve the quality of care because she possesses excellent patient care skills and has selected a career goal of working in quality management. However, the nurse is unable to concentrate on any one task or issue and is unable to view the health care milieu sensibly. Which source of energy is missing in this nurse?
A) Physical
B) Mental
C) Spiritual
D) Emotional

Accepted Answer

Mental energy is the ability to maintain sustained concentration on a task, to move flexibly between broad and narrow issues, and to be internally and externally focused, as needed by the situation. It includes mental preparation, visualization, positive self-talk, effective time management, and creativity.

Question 2

Positive time management skills include:
A) maintaining an open-door policy.
B) retaining all paperwork.
C) returning all telephone calls immediately.
D) scheduling daily activities.

Accepted Answer

Planning is the most important step in time management. Planning allows people to better use their time and can lead to closure in relation to those goals that will produce the greatest internal satisfaction.

Question 3

A nurse takes a day to travel to a state park where she can sit by the river alone to reflect over recent events and put things into perspective. She recalls the time she was complimented for her ability to deal with a difficult patient and another time when she was criticized for lack of teamwork. This nurse is improving which source of energy?
A) Emotional
B) Spiritual
C) Physical
D) Mental

Accepted Answer

Spiritual energy can be increased by taking time to reflect over events in one's life and allowing time to understand feelings associated with events/happenings. A quiet environment is essential for reflection.

Question 4

After keeping a log of activities designed to improve time management, the nurse divides the distractions into internal and external sources. The nurse would classify which distraction as internal?
A) Responding to recurring crises at work or in one's personal life
B) Unsuccessful attempts to communicate with the unit manager
C) Talking with potential faculty candidates
D) Being given unclear job responsibilities

Accepted Answer

An internal distraction is one that can be controlled only by the person affected; it is important for each of us to recognize and understand the distracters that inhibit our ability to complete tasks and to meet our objectives and goals.

Question 5

When planning, a nurse should:
A) delay planning until the "first task of the morning" has been completed.
B) recognize that rewarding oneself has a negative consequence.
C) rotate between several tasks to stimulate creativity.
D) remember that most tasks take longer than anticipated to complete.

Accepted Answer

One must consider many factors when planning a project. Some of the following factors influence how priorities should be established: (1) urgency of a situation, (2) demands of others, (3) closeness of deadlines, (4) existing time frame, (5) degree of familiarity with the task, (6) ease of task completion, (7) amount of enjoyment involved, (8) consequences involved, (9) size of the task, and (10) congruence with personal goals. When the use of time is considered, not all of these factors carry the same weight, and adjustments will be needed.

Question 6

In deciding whether to say no to a request that involves a time commitment, the professional nurse must consider:
A) the cost-benefit ratio.
B) the time commitment of coworkers.
C) ways to buffer saying no.
D) personal preference.

Accepted Answer

The first step in learning the art of saying no is determining when to say it. The cost/benefit ratio of each opportunity must be evaluated in relation to the overall goal. If the activity will provide an overall benefit, obviously it must be given careful consideration. If it will not result in significant benefit, decline gracefully but emphatically.

Question 7

To conduct a productive meeting, the nurse should:
A) provide each person all the time needed to discuss desired topics.
B) cover all emotional topics first.
C) create an agenda with specific times allotted for each agenda item.
D) wait for latecomers and ask for their excuse for being late.

Accepted Answer

You need to preplan for the meeting so it can be conducted in a timely manner. One way to have a productive meeting is to prepare a meeting agenda with time allotted for each item and the name of the person responsible for reporting on each item. Send out the agenda prior to the meeting so attendees can come prepared.

Question 8

A nurse is having difficulty managing assignments at work, which results in a feeling of "failure" and tasks that are not completed or that are not completed satisfactorily. The mentor suggests some tips for time management. These include: (select all that apply)
A) focusing on activities to be completed, rather than on objectives.
B) planning for tomorrow today.
C) making certain that the last hours are the most productive in tying up loose ends.
D) maintaining a log of how the nurse spends time (no need to worry about using complete sentences).
E) picking five major objectives for the day and not stopping until they are achieved.

Accepted Answer

Planning for the future is an effective time management strategy. Maintaining a log of how you spend your time is an effective time management strategy.

Question 9

A nurse hopes to improve time management skills using the ABC prioritization approach. Which tasks would be prioritized as "B"? (select all that apply)
A) Turn in time sheet due in 3 days.
B) Review dress code policy to give feedback before appointment in the morning.
C) Perform blood glucose test on a patient admitted with Kussmaul respirations and change in level of consciousness.
D) Complete patient teaching prior to discharge in 2 hours.
E) Review procedure for inserting a PIC line to assist with procedure later this morning.

Accepted Answer

Task that falls within Priority B includes the medium-value items, such as tasks that are not urgent but most likely will not "fall" off the list. Since the dress code must be reviewed and feedback constructed for a morning appointment, this would be level B, it is not urgent nor will it likely fall off the list. Completing patient teaching for a patient to be discharged in 2 hours must be completed but does not take priority over "A" tasks. Reviewing a procedure to be performed later in the day is Level "B."

Question 10

As part of a quality assurance project, a nurse is to round on every patient daily for 1 month to ensure the intravenous tubing is labeled with date hung and nurse's initials. The nurse is hoping to be promoted to a full-time position within the quality department, and her success on this project is very important to her receiving the position. The nurse retains all other assignments, and she is often interrupted to help other staff or answer call lights. The nurse discusses her concerns with the manager, who frees her for 1 hour each day to make rounds. During this 1 hour each day the nurse will organize herself and environment by practicing the:
A) art of "no detourism."
B) reducing stacked-desk syndrome.
C) art of "wastebasketry."
D) managing e-mail and memo mania.

Accepted Answer

The art of "no detourism" focuses on one task until completed.

Question 11

A nurse is having difficulty keeping up with the six assigned patients and serving on the ethics committee. In order to take charge of both personal and work life, the nurse focuses on improving physical energy by: (select all that apply)
A) telling herself, "I provide safe quality care and will provide this level of care to all my patients."
B) taking a deep breath and remaining calm to develop patience.
C) keeping a bottle of water available to consume a minimum of 24 ounces each shift.
D) going into the nurse's break room every 90 minutes to eat a healthy snack and prioritize remaining care.
E) enrolling in the hospital's fitness program, Nurses Need Nurturing.

Accepted Answer

Drinking plenty of water promotes physical health. Taking a break every 90 minutes, especially during long shifts such as 12-hour shifts, provides a much needed time to relax and reorganize. Proper and frequent exercise promotes physical health.

Question 12

A nurse is hoping for a promotion and seeks the help of a coach to improve time management skills. The first task assigned by the coach is for the nurse to list all external distractors that prevent organization and completion of tasks. The nurse would include:
A) waiting for oncoming shift to start walking rounds.
B) failure to delegate tasks to the licensed practical nurse and unlicensed assistive personnel and instead, completing task herself.
C) talking with a patient's family member who is also a personal friend.
D) spending time thinking about the vacation to the beach.
E) using the Internet to read about a new drug that will be administered; then taking time to look for news about the profession, new legislation about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, and new uniforms for the season.

Accepted Answer

a. Waiting, such as for meetings or oncoming shift, is an external distraction.
c. Socializing with visitors is an external distraction.

Question 13

Time can be maximized to produce the best outcomes by:
A) making the first hour of each workday productive.
B) completing trivial tasks before performing important tasks.
C) eliminating all recreational activities.
D) omitting breaks until the entire task has been completed.

Accepted Answer

Making sure that the first hour of every workday is productive sets the tone for achieving goals.

Question 14

A student nurse assigned to work with the charge nurse is given the opportunity to help revise the nursing assessment form. She receives several compliments from management and her nursing instructor for her creative suggestions. The student nurse enjoys the project and attention she is receiving and begins to prolong the conclusion of the project. Although she constantly adds new information, she filters this out slowly to others. The student nurse is subject to the time management obstacle of:
A) need for perfection.
B) fear of losing creativity.
C) unclear goals.
D) fear of completion.

Accepted Answer

Fear of completion is a time management obstacle that may occur if you are afraid of completing a project that is creative and fun. To overcome this obstacle, take the time to understand why you are not completing the task or major project that has been with you for some time.

Question 15

When deciding whether and when a task should be completed, a nurse must:
A) complete all tasks as they are thought of to prevent having to take time to consider which is most important.
B) procrastinate and hope that someone will volunteer to do it.
C) ask, "What will happen if I don't complete the task now?"
D) view large projects holistically and not as many small pieces.

Accepted Answer

Stopping to evaluate what is going on is important because you may have to readjust your plan and reprioritize in order to reach your goal.

Question 16

A nurse realizes that much time is wasted during shift report when coworkers discuss personal items such as recent movies or department store sales. Which statement would help with time management during this critical interaction?
A) "Let's talk only about one movie you recently watched."
B) "I like to know about department store sales, but we need to get through this report, so let's talk about sales as we walk between patient rooms."
C) "I know your shift has been busy. What went wrong?"
D) "I have the list of patients; let's start with revisions to the plan of care and scheduled activities for the next shift."

Accepted Answer

The statement "I have the list of patients; let's start with revisions to the plan of care and scheduled activities for the next shift" focuses the conversation during report, keeping personal conversations to a minimum.

Question 17

A novice nurse is unsure of his ability to insert a nasogastric tube for one of the assigned patients who is vomiting coffee ground emesis. The novice nurse waits, hoping that someone with more experience will volunteer to do the job, or he just waits until the end of the shift. This nurse is practicing:
A) energy management.
B) priority setting.
C) procrastination.
D) introspection.

Accepted Answer

Procrastination is evident when a person is faced with an unpleasant task, a difficult task, or a difficult decision. Usually procrastination is easily recognizable because it involves completing low-priority tasks rather than high-priority ones, and it always welcomes interruptions. Procrastination is the art of "never doing today what can be put off until tomorrow." The result consists of less productivity, less internal satisfaction, and increased stress.

Question 18

When using the ABC system of managing time, those items coded A include:
A) calling the pharmacy to see whether a drug insert is available for a patient.
B) checking to see why a ventilator is alarming.
C) organizing the medication cart.
D) writing memos to remind everyone to contribute to the boss's birthday gift.

Accepted Answer

A items should stand out from other items because of their worth and high level of importance. A items are most urgent and may require more energy and time, but they should be completed before any of the B or C items are performed.

Question 19

An inexperienced nurse has heard of other novice nurses who take shortcuts in providing patient care. This nurse feels that this is unacceptable and that all tasks must be performed faultlessly, which leads to her inability to complete all assigned tasks. This nurse would benefit from the seminar "Obstacles to Time Management: How to Deal with:
A) Creativity."
B) Perfectionism."
C) Failure."
D) Downtime."

Accepted Answer

If you are a perfectionist and feel that everything should be completed at the same level of excellence, you are not keeping things in perspective. If you demand extremely high standards for every single task you undertake, you simply will not get everything done.

Question 20

When choosing to delegate, the nurse should delegate the task to the most qualified person or to the person he or she wishes to:
A) develop.
B) promote.
C) punish.
D) reward.

Accepted Answer

Delegating is giving other people tasks to be accomplished. The benefits of delegation involve (1) assisting in developing the initiative, skills, knowledge, and competence of others; (2) maintaining the level of responsibility and decision making of others; (3) freeing time for more important tasks; (4) extending results that can be accomplished from what one person can do alone to what he or she can manage through others; and (5) ensuring that completing the task is cost effective.

Quiz 25: Managing Time: The Path to High Self-Performance

Positive time management skills include:

After keeping a log of activities designed to improve time management, the nurse divides the distractions into internal and external sources. The nurse would classify which distraction as internal?

When planning, a nurse should:

In deciding whether to say no to a request that involves a time commitment, the professional nurse must consider:

To conduct a productive meeting, the nurse should:

A nurse is having difficulty managing assignments at work, which results in a feeling of "failure" and tasks that are not completed or that are not completed satisfactorily. The mentor suggests some tips for time management. These include: (select all that apply)

A nurse hopes to improve time management skills using the ABC prioritization approach. Which tasks would be prioritized as "B"? (select all that apply)

A nurse is having difficulty keeping up with the six assigned patients and serving on the ethics committee. In order to take charge of both personal and work life, the nurse focuses on improving physical energy by: (select all that apply)

A nurse is hoping for a promotion and seeks the help of a coach to improve time management skills. The first task assigned by the coach is for the nurse to list all external distractors that prevent organization and completion of tasks. The nurse would include:

Time can be maximized to produce the best outcomes by:

When deciding whether and when a task should be completed, a nurse must:

A nurse realizes that much time is wasted during shift report when coworkers discuss personal items such as recent movies or department store sales. Which statement would help with time management during this critical interaction?

When using the ABC system of managing time, those items coded A include:

When choosing to delegate, the nurse should delegate the task to the most qualified person or to the person he or she wishes to: