Chapter: Chapter 4: Making Professional Goals a Reality. Multiple Choice

Transcription

1 Import Settings: Base Settings: Brownstone Default Information Field: Client Needs Information Field: Cognitive Level Information Field: Difficulty Information Field: Integrated Process Information Field: Objective Information Field: Page and Header Highest Answer Letter: D Multiple Keywords in Same Paragraph: No Chapter: Chapter 4: Making Professional Goals a Reality Multiple Choice 1. Which organization developed the most definitive statements on the competencies needed by the newly licensed practical nurse (PN) and the RN? A) National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) B) American Association of Nurses (ANA) C) National League for Nursing (NLN) D) American Association of Colleges of Nursing Ans: A Cognitive Level: Comprehension Difficulty: Easy Objective: 2 Page and Header: 124, National Council of State Boards of Nursing Competencies Feedback: The most definitive statements on the competencies needed by the newly licensed practical nurse (PN) and the RN have been developed by the NCSBN based on its job analysis studies, which serve as the basis for the NCLEX-RN and NCLEX-PN.

2 2. In what type of healthcare setting are the most RNs currently employed? A) Ambulatory care centers B) Doctor's offices C) Acute care hospitals D) Long-term care facilities Ans: C Cognitive Level: Knowledge Difficulty: Easy Objective: 1 Page and Header: 122, Employment Opportunities Today Feedback: As of 2008, over 89% of nurses worked in hospital settings, 4.8% worked in longterm care, and 4.3% worked in community-based or ambulatory care settings. Only 1.7% of nurses indicated that they worked in other settings. 3. Which of the following statements accurately reflects what employers generally should expect when hiring a newly graduated RN? A) The RN should be proficient with the documentation system used by the institution. B) The RN should be able to perform all nursing skills, enabling him or her to work independently. C) The RN should function with speed comparable to that of the other nurses. D) The RN should be able to develop plans of care and follow plans developed by the agency. Ans: D Client Needs: D-1 Objective: 1 Page and Header: 126, Employers' Expectations Regarding Competencies Feedback: New graduates should be able to develop plans of care and follow plans, such as care pathways, that have been developed by the agency. Proficiency, speed, and complete independence are developed over time and with increased experience and orientation.

3 4. A nurse decides to apply for a position in a hospital in her hometown. Which of the following statements provides good advice for her job quest? A) She should call the human resources department and speak to the person who is in charge of hiring nurses. B) She should include a cover letter with her résumé that is no more than two pages long and briefly reiterates the information found in the résumé. C) She should invest in a professionally prepared résumé to make a better impression on potential employers. D) She should focus her résumé on accomplishments and use active verbs to describe her skills. Ans: D Objective: 5 Page and Header: 138, Employment History Feedback: In a résumé, it is best to focus on accomplishments and use active verbs to describe skills. Professional preparation of a résumé is not necessary, and telephone communication is generally discouraged. A cover letter should ideally not exceed one page in length. 5. Which of the following is a recommended guideline when resigning a position? A) Provide the employer with 2 weeks to seek a replacement. B) Clearly state the details if you wish to be compensated for any vacation or holiday time accrued. C) If resigning because of problems in the work setting, it is a good idea to put the reason in the resignation letter. D) Place comments regarding positive factors experienced in the workplace in a separate correspondence from the resignation letter. Ans: B Objective: 5

4 Page and Header: 151, Resignation Feedback: If you have accrued vacation or holiday time and want to take the time off or be paid for it when resigning, clearly state that. A month's notice is ideal, and a resignation letter should not go into detail regarding the contributing problems in the workplace. Positive factors experienced in the workplace may be included in the resignation letter. 6. A student nurse is scheduled to graduate in a few weeks and is preparing to begin searching for employment. Which of the following statements best conveys an aspect of the current job market for nurses? A) Most nursing graduates are expected to perform in the role of a nursing assistant or practical (vocational) nurse after graduation. B) The majority of nursing opportunities for new graduates are in international settings. C) Job openings in acute care have decreased in many places but long-term care openings continue to grow. D) The increasing severity of the nursing shortage means that job opportunities for nursing graduates are greater than ever. Ans: C Cognitive Level: Comprehension Objective: 1 Page and Header: 122, Employment Opportunities Today Feedback: Positions for new graduate RNs have recently decreased. This is due in part to the effects of the economic recession. Although hospital vacancies have decreased in many places, those in long-term care continue to increase. Some, but not most, graduates may find work in other roles, and a minority of positions are in international settings. 7. A recent nursing graduate is attempting demonstrate the competencies that she learned as a nursing students and to reconcile the expectations of her new colleagues and employer with her own abilities. Which of the following tasks is the most important and most frequently performed? A) Helping patients and families navigate the healthcare environment B) Applying the principles of infection control and standard precautions C) Initiating vascular access and maintaining peripheral and/or central IV access D) Liaising with members of other health disciplines to ensure safe and continuous care

5 Ans: B Objective: 2 Page and Header: 125, Display 4.1 Feedback: Apply principles of infection control (e.g., hand hygiene, room assignment, isolation, aseptic/sterile technique, universal/standard precautions) is among the most common, and most important, nursing actions as identified by nursing organizations. Patient advocacy, interdisciplinary cooperation, and IV therapy are all important, but none is performed as frequently as infection control measures. 8. Healthcare institutions expect that nursing graduates will be able to apply their theoretic knowledge for safe client care. Which of the following actions best demonstrates this? A) Creating a nursing care plan for a newly admitted patient B) Responding appropriately to a patient complaining of chest pain C) Advocating for a patient's interests with members of other disciplines D) Conducting a thorough and thoughtful search for nursing employment Ans: B Client Needs: A-2 Cognitive Level: Analysis Difficulty: Difficult Objective: 3 Page and Header: 126, Employers' Expectations Regarding Competencies Feedback: Responding appropriately to an emergent health threat is a demonstration of safe care and the appropriate application of knowledge. Patient advocacy and creating care plans are functions that are less closely related to patient safety. Searching for a job is not linked to safe client care. 9. The expected competencies of new nursing graduates are not standardized and can vary between institutions and organizations. Most nursing and healthcare organizations, however, agree that recent graduates should be able to use the nursing process in a systematic way. Which of the following nursing activities best exemplifies this competency?

6 A) The nurse identifies a nursing diagnosis of Impaired Skin Integrity based on an assessment and plans to reposition the patient. B) The nurse administers an ACE inhibitor to a patient with high blood pressure. C) The nurse makes a referral to occupational therapy for a patient with a neurological deficit. D) The nurse attends an inservice on pain control that is conducted by a nurse educator. Ans: A Cognitive Level: Analysis Difficulty: Difficult Objective: 3 Page and Header: 126, Employers' Expectations Regarding Competencies Feedback: The nursing process includes assessment, analysis, planning, intervention, and evaluation. Identifying a nursing diagnosis on the basis of an assessment exemplifies the early stages of this process. Learning about pain management, administering a medication, and making a referral to another discipline may also exist within the framework of the nursing process, but the steps of this process are not as clearly evident in these examples. 10. A patient has just been transferred to the acute medicine unit from the intensive care unit and the patient's arterial line has not yet been discontinued. The nurse on the acute medicine unit is a recent graduate and does not have experience in caring for an arterial line. As a result, the nurse is unsure how to safely address this aspect of the patient's care. How should the nurse best respond? A) Look up arterial lines in the policy and procedures manual on the unit. B) Inform the unit manager that this patient assignment is inappropriate. C) Enlist the help of a more senior nurse on the unit. D) Have the patient transferred back to the intensive care unit. Ans: C Client Needs: A-2 Difficulty: Difficult Objective: 3 Page and Header: 126, Employers' Expectations Regarding Competencies Feedback: To provide safe care, the nurse must identify when a situation requires greater expertise or knowledge and when assistance is needed. Asking a colleague for assistance is an appropriate demonstration of this competency. Looking up a procedure in a policy manual is an appropriate action but does not show a willingness to ask others for help. It would likely be

7 premature to refuse the care of this patient or to have him or her transferred. 11. After several months of working on an acute care for elders (ACE) unit following her graduation, Theresa has decided to focus her nursing career on working with older adults. What action is most likely to help Theresa meet this career goal? A) Cultivating a passion for the health of the older adult population B) Networking with prominent older adults in the community C) Performing original research that adds to the knowledge of this population's needs D) Working toward certification in gerontological nursing Ans: D Cognitive Level: Analysis Objective: 4 Page and Header: 128, Focusing Your Goals Feedback: Certification in a particular nursing specialty has the potential to increase a nurse's opportunities in that field. Passion, networking, and research may all be of some benefit, but certification is more likely to create tangible career opportunities. 12. After identifying a job posting in his or her field of specialty, a diabetes nurse has submitted a letter of application and a résumé. What is the primary function of a letter of application? A) To introduce the applicant to the employer in a personal way B) To state why the nurse left his most recent position C) To demonstrate the nurse's work ethic D) To summarize the content of the résumé in a succinct way Ans: A Cognitive Level: Comprehension Objective: 5 Page and Header: 133, Letter of Application Feedback: A letter of application provides the opportunity for a nurse to reveal a bit of his or

8 her personality and connects his or her experience to the position's requirements. The purpose is not primarily to summarize the résumé or demonstrate a work ethic. It is inappropriate to state reasons for leaving previous positions in a cover letter. 13. During her final clinical placement, a nursing student worked with two of her fellow students to plan a health fair that took place in a local community center. How should she best characterize this activity on her résumé? A) I was a member of the steering committee for a community health fair. B) Organized a community health fair. C) I have strong organizational skills. D) Assisted with the organization of a community health fair. Ans: B Objective: 5 Page and Header: 139, Display 4.3 Feedback: Option B provides the most succinct and action-oriented description of the activity. Option A lacks an action verb, while option C is imprecise and not descriptive. Option D is less direct and less action oriented than option B. 14. A nursing student who has held a variety of nonnursing positions is scheduled to graduate in a few weeks and is searching for a nursing job. The student has responded to a posting at a local hospital that asks for two references. Which of the following individuals would be the best choices for these two references? A) A trusted coworker and a nurse who supervised the student during a preceptorship B) A family friend who knows the student well and the associate dean of the nursing school C) The two work supervisors with whom the student has the strongest rapport D) A nursing instructor and the supervisor of the student's latest job Ans: D

9 Objective: 5 Page and Header: 142, References Feedback: A primary reference should be an instructor from your basic educational program. This person would be able to affirm your ability in the nursing field. Another reference should be someone who has employed you and who can describe your work habits and effectiveness as an employee. Coworkers and family friends are not normally appropriate references. 15. In response to her recent job application, a nurse has been contacted by a member of the hospital's human resources (HR) department in order to schedule an interview. The nurse should A) bring several copies of her résumé to the interview. B) ask the HR representative how she should dress for the interview. C) do research so that she can avoid asking questions during the interview. D) ask the interviewers about their work history and areas of career interest. Ans: A Objective: 6, 7 Page and Header: 145, Things to Take with You Feedback: Take several copies of your résumé with you to the interview. You may want to refer to it, or you may find it appropriate to leave a copy with someone. It is best to dress formally rather than asking for direction in this matter. It is appropriate to ask questions during an interview, but these should not focus on the work of the interviewers.