Instruction
-1-
OPTION 1: Identify a nursing care problem or issue that is NOT related to staffing. Explain the problem in a paragraph. Then, describe the problem solving/decision making approach that you and other nurses could use to creatively address this nursing care problem or issue.
What research, best practices, decision making grids, new equipment/supplies, education, new technology, consultation, etc. might be considered in this decision-making process?
OPTION 2: Explain and differentiate between the characteristics of a manager and a leader and
Choose one Classic OR one 21st Century leadership style or theory. Describe characteristics and behaviors associated with this leadership style or theory and how they might be useful for today’s nurse leaders/managers.
-2-
Discuss two of the following staffing/scheduling practices and how they can support patient care:
*centralized versus decentralized scheduling
*self-scheduling
*6-8-10-12-hour shifts
*overtime
*mandatory staffing
-3-
Identify a time when you had to make a change in your personal or professional life. Describe a change theory that helps explain the process you used to approach this change situation.What were your priorities at the time that impacted your change decision? Was your change successful? If not, what lessons did you learn from the process?
-4-
OPTION 1: Briefly discuss one of the following changes that are impacting healthcare quality and reimbursement today:
*The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)
*The Prospective Payment System and development of diagnosis-related groups (DRGs)
*Shift from third party, fee-for-service plans to capitated managed care programs
*Shift of government and private insurer reimbursement from volume to value based reimbursement.
OPTION 2:
Option 2: Briefly discuss one of the following sets of budget concepts:
*Personnel, operating and capital budgets
*Fixed/variable, controllable/non-controllable costs for healthcare organizations
*Budgeting methods (incremental, zero-based, flexible, performance-based)
*HMOs, PPOs
*Use of critical pathways