1) Of the following new patients, who should be assessed first by the nurse? A

1) Of the following new patients, who should be assessed first by the nurse? A. a patient with a diagnosis of alcohol abuse with impending delirium tremens (DTs) B. a patient with a newly casted fractured fibula complaining of pain C. a patient admitted two hours ago who is scheduled for a nephrectomy in the morning. D. a patient diagnosed with appendicitis who has a temperature of 37.8°C (100.2°F) orally

2) A nurse has been assigned to a medical-surgical unit on a stormy day. Three of the staff can’t make it in to work, and no other staff is available. How will the nurse proceed? A. Prioritize care so that all patients get safe care. B. Provide nursing care only to those patients to whom the nurse is regularly assigned. C. Ask selected ambulatory patients if they can help with care of the sickest patients. D. Refuse the nursing assignment as the increased number of patients makes it unsafe.

3) The nurse has just finished the change-of-shift hand-off report. Which patient should the nurse assess first? A. a postoperative cholecystectomy patient who is complaining of pain but received an IM injection of morphine five minutes ago B. a postoperative appendectomy patient who will be discharged in the next few hours C. a patient with asthma who had difficulty breathing during the prior shift D. an elderly patient with diabetes who is on the bedpan

4) Examine the organizational structure of an organization or institution with which you are familiar. How would you characterize it using the types of structures that were discussed in this chapter? Is the organization a hierarchy, a matrix, or some other design? Does the way that the institution or organization is structured assist it in meeting its goals? Why or why not?

5) Write a beginning mission statement for your professional nursing career. Do you plan to care for vulnerable populations in the community, become an expert in critical care nursing, or seek advanced education to become a midwife? Once you have identified your mission, outline a plan with objectives to attain your goal. For example, you might want to conduct a SWOT analysis, looking at the external environment; your internal environment (your skills, talents, and preferences); and the strengths, weaknesses, threats, and opportunities that exist in each. Once you have completed this exercise, you will have a better idea of which opportunities to pursue. For example, if you know that you want to work in pediatrics, you might ask for a pediatric journal subscription for your birthday. Additionally, you may be able to select or have input into the selection of your final clinical rotation in school, or you may be able to look for meetings, conferences, or educational sessions in your area of interest.

6) Having a plan in place can help an organization to make a decision about one alternative over another. For example, an institution whose plan calls for positioning itself as the leading cancer care provider in the area would be well served to advertise for nurses in the clinical journal of Oncology Nursing rather than in a local newspaper, even if the costs of advertising in the journal were higher. Identify another situation in which a plan could guide an organization in its choices among alternative actions.

7) The most formal and hierarchical organizational structure would be expected to have an organizational chart with A. a matrix design. B. many layers of command. C. a product line design. D. a number of dotted lines representing reporting relationships.

8) Which of the following is the outcome of the processes by which an organization engages in environmental analysis, goal formulation, and strategy development with the purpose of organizational growth and renewal? A. Stakeholder assessment B. SWOT analysis C. Strategic planning D. Mission development