A nurse manager in the pediatric intensive care unit recognizes that when conveying information to parents of a critically ill child, the following action should be prioritized:

Choice A Reason:

Unacceptable patient care may result from absenteeism because it leads to understaffing, which can compromise the quality of care provided to patients. When there are fewer nurses available, the remaining staff may be overworked, leading to fatigue, burnout, and errors in patient care. Studies have shown that absenteeism is linked to lower quality of care, increased patient safety incidents, and higher mortality rates. Ensuring adequate staffing levels is crucial for maintaining high standards of patient care and safety.

Choice B Reason:

While absenteeism may indeed encourage other team members to engage in similar behavior, this is not the primary consequence. The ripple effect of absenteeism can lead to a culture of non-compliance and reduced morale among staff, but the immediate and most critical impact is on patient care. The focus should be on the direct consequences of absenteeism on patient outcomes rather than the potential influence on team behavior.

Choice C Reason:

Lower personnel numbers leading to reduced salary expenses and creating a positive variance is a misleading statement. While it might seem that fewer staff would reduce salary expenses, the hidden costs of absenteeism, such as overtime pay for remaining staff, hiring temporary staff, and the potential for increased patient care costs due to errors and complications, often outweigh any perceived savings. Additionally, the quality of care suffers, which can lead to longer hospital stays and higher overall healthcare costs.

Choice D Reason:

Introducing substitute staff with fresh perspectives can harm the unit’s culture is not the primary consequence of absenteeism. While bringing in temporary or substitute staff can disrupt the established team dynamics and continuity of care, the immediate and most significant impact of absenteeism is on patient care. The focus should be on how absenteeism directly affects patient outcomes rather than the potential cultural impact on the unit.

Choice A Reason:

“Critical pathways ensure cost-effective outcomes at a reduced cost.” While critical pathways can help in managing costs by standardizing care and reducing unnecessary variations, the primary focus is on improving patient outcomes. Cost-effectiveness is a benefit, but it is not the main purpose of critical pathways.

Choice B Reason:

“Critical pathways result in better care outcomes.” This statement accurately reflects the primary goal of critical pathways. These pathways are designed to standardize care processes, reduce variability, and ensure that patients receive evidence-based care. By following critical pathways, healthcare providers can improve the quality of care, enhance patient outcomes, and ensure consistency in treatment.

Choice C Reason:

“Critical pathways must be followed in the prescribed order to meet optimal outcomes.” While it is important to follow critical pathways to achieve the desired outcomes, there should be some flexibility to accommodate individual patient needs. Strict adherence without considering patient-specific factors can lead to suboptimal care. Critical pathways provide a framework, but clinical judgment is essential to tailor care to each patient.

Choice D Reason:

“Critical pathways are utilized to guide health promotion activities.” Critical pathways are primarily used to manage clinical care processes and ensure that patients receive standardized, evidence-based treatment. While they can include elements of health promotion, their main focus is on managing specific clinical conditions and improving patient outcomes.

Choice E Reason:

“Individual healthcare providers create critical pathways to guide the care they offer to their patients.” Critical pathways are typically developed by multidisciplinary teams, including physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals. They are based on best practices and evidence-based guidelines. Individual providers may contribute to the development of critical pathways, but they are not created by a single provider.