Question 1

At Limeville Hospital,the nursing department is developing a mission statement for nursing.Which of the following would be a suitable mission statement?

Accepted Answer

A nursing mission statement within an organization needs to establish the reason for nursing within the organization and specifies relationships with patients,the community,and members of other disciplines.

Question 2

"At Thoroughcare,we provide health care for women and children in transition" is an example of a

Accepted Answer

Mission statements provide a reason or rationale for the existence of the organization and are indicative of the structure of the organization and of who consumes the services provided.

Question 3

In which of the following situations would you expect low morale and frustration?

Accepted Answer

Although frustration may occur with external factors that affect ability to act on values and aspirations,lack of congruence between what is espoused as a value within the organization,such as promising advancement as an incentive to join the organization,and what is actually done,such as restricting advancement to internal candidates with much organizational history,can cause low morale and confusion.

Question 4

In Valley Hospital,there is a great deal of discussion about the balance between hospital-wide budget decision-making and unit-based budget decision-making.This discussion represents

Accepted Answer

The important point for an organization-the balance between centralization and decentralization of authority and decision making-is known as the "sweet spot."

Question 5

The facilities department is experiencing some challenges and is undergoing reorganization.Because of your familiarity with systems theory,you

Accepted Answer

By nature,a system such as an organization is an interacting collection of parts that together function as the whole.Changes in one part affect other parts and the system as a whole.

Question 6

Which of the following most influences the organizational structure of the organization?

Accepted Answer

Mission statements specify the reasons for the organization's existence and include the population served and services offered,which,in turn,influence which technologies and human resources will be required.

Question 7

At Hospital XYZ,the current head nurse on unit Y3 is the third in 3 years.Donna,the current head nurse,lacks confidence in patient-nurse relationships,and scheduling and other processes are routinely left to the last minute.Staff members approached Donna first and then administration with their concerns about Donna's effectiveness as a leader.They were told that the problem is probably staff related,that it is simply an unhappy group,and that nothing that will be done further about their concerns.The philosophy of the organization indicates that "open,transparent communication between staff and management is desired and supported" and that "innovation and creative thinking are the foundation of the organization's progress." In assessing this situation as a newly hired senior executive,you anticipate that

Accepted Answer

Lack of congruence between the stated philosophy of the hospital and the experienced organizational culture does not support either the staff or the head nurse and will probably result in ongoing frustration and increased attrition.

Question 8

A nurse manager understands that a matrix organizational structure

Accepted Answer

Matrix structures are complex,integrated organizational structures that involve both functional managers and service or product-line managers.In this structure,team members or teams from various functional departments may combine to complete a project or program,thereby becoming responsible to both their functional department manager and their product-line manager.Harmony or disharmony cannot be assumed.

Question 9

"Bayshore Hospital will provide care that is a national example of consumer service" is a

Accepted Answer

A vision statement is an articulated goal that provides an inspirational target to which the organization aspires.

Question 10

Which of the following is the most appropriate mission statement for a nursing centre?

Accepted Answer

The mission statements of nursing centres are oriented toward achieving optimal health status for a defined group of patients or consumers.

Question 11

The chief nursing officer and the dean of the school of nursing believe that by establishing rules and regulations and controlling the environment,this partnership will

Accepted Answer

Centralized decision-making structures that emphasize high control and rules and regulations that lay out expectations can be slow to respond to emerging trends.Organizations that are controlled in a heavily centralized way can diminish quickly without the strong central figure.

Question 12

A new director of nursing in a small rural hospital wants to make changes from the traditional model of governance to a shared-governance model.Of the following characteristics,which best describes the traditional organizational structure in which a staff nurse is assigned to carry out nursing tasks for patients but is not given the chance to provide input into forming the policies and procedures by which care is delivered or the standards by which care is evaluated?

Accepted Answer

In traditional structures,decision-making authority is held by a centralized decision-making body; thus staff members have responsibility for certain functions but do not participate in decisions related to those functions.

Question 13

The hospital administration gives approval to the chief nursing officer to hire clinical nurse specialists in staff positions rather than in administrative positions.A clinical specialist who has staff authority but no line authority typically is able to

Accepted Answer

Staff positions provide support to line positions but have no direct accountability for staff or patient outcomes and therefore function through influence.

Question 14

A hospital is working toward becoming a Magnet™ hospital.The chief nursing officer is aware that professional nursing departments of the future will

Accepted Answer

Professional nursing departments of the future will be focused on patient care outcomes and nursing satisfaction.

Question 15

The chief nursing officer is given the task of reviewing and revising the organization's mission,philosophy,and technology.In reviewing them,the chief nursing officer understands that they should be reflected in

Accepted Answer

The mission statement is an important foundation for the organizational structure and defines technology and human resources required for the organization.

Question 16

With revenue reductions and cost saving measures,the number of managers has been reduced,which has increased the number of team leaders supervised by managers by as many as three.This change may result in

Accepted Answer

When a span of control becomes too large,supervision can become less effective,which can have a negative effect on staff-manager relationships and on the overall quality of patient care.

Question 17

Lachine Hospital has well-defined organizational units that provide maintenance,financial services,care for cardiac patients,care for surgical patients,and so on.The organizational chart indicates that surgical units report to a surgical manager,all nursing units report to a vice president of nursing,financial services units report to an accountant and then to a business executive,and so on.The primary disadvantage of this organizational structure is

Accepted Answer

In a functional organizational structure,departments and services function according to specialty.This model supports professional expertise but can lead to silos in communication and decision-making and to discontinuity in patient services.

Question 18

In opening a new dialysis unit,the nurse manager has to develop a philosophy for the unit.This philosophy needs to

Accepted Answer

The philosophy needs to state what the nurse manager and staff believe is the vision for nursing management and practice and sets the stage for establishing goals to make the vision a reality.It is complementary to the organizational philosophy but reflects the values of nursing.Shared governance enables staff and management to develop a vision and is congruent with contemporary views of management.The identification of patients to be served reflects a mission statement.

Question 19

A hospital and a nursing education program form a partnership to recruit more nurses to the region.This organizational structure is

Accepted Answer

Shared decision-making across organizations can lead to growth and responsiveness in meeting emerging needs.

Question 20

Collaborative partnerships between hospitals and schools of nursing are examples of hybrid organizational structures.A hybrid organizational structure

Accepted Answer

Hybrid structures include characteristics of various organizational types and reflect the needs of the situation and the environment.

Quiz 9: Understanding and Designing Organizational Structures