Exam 26: Managing Stress

An experienced nurse manager is serving as mentor to a newly appointed manager. The experienced manager says, "Always try to keep your staff as well informed as possible about what is going on at the administrative level." What rationale should the manager offer for this advice?

An assistant nurse manager has relieved a staff nurse for lunch. After the nurse leaves, the assistant manager realizes there is a nursing administration meeting at noon. Which stress-producing event does this exemplify?

A staff nurse on a busy outpatient surgery unit comes to the manager and says, "I don't know what is going on. I just feel unsettled and anxious." How should the manager interpret this statement? Note: Credit will be given only if all correct choices and no incorrect choices are selected. Select all that apply.

A nurse who transferred from the medical-surgical unit completed orientation to the ICU 6 weeks ago, but is stressed and unsure of personal skill competency. The nurse manager learns of this lack of confidence. Which action by the manager would best benefit this nurse and the unit?

A staff nurse finds a newly licensed, newly hired staff nurse crying in the break room halfway through a shift. The new nurse says, "I am just not getting this. I had no idea nursing would be this hard." The experienced nurse says, "Reality shock is terrible, but you will get through it." What does the nurse mean by reality shock?

A staff nurse tells the nurse manager, "I don't know how you do it. You manage the unit, work extra shifts, and have so many people depending on you and yet you seem so calm and in control." What explains this nurse's perception?

________ is the result of incompatibility between the individual's perception of the role and its actual ________.

The manager is watchful of compassion fatigue among the nursing staff of the emergency department. What is the best indicator to the manager that this disorder is occurring?

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

A nurse supervisor is aware that nurses in the facility have been under a great deal of stress while working through a major change in the ownership of the hospital. Which nurses would the supervisor be most concerned might develop compassion fatigue? Note: Credit will be given only if all correct choices and no incorrect choices are selected. Select all that apply.

Which factors increase the stress associated with interpersonal relationships in healthcare? Note: Credit will be given only if all correct choices and no incorrect choices are selected. Select all that apply.

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?