A nurse manager is preparing a fiscal budget for a medical surgical unit. When providing cost-effective client care, which of the following factors should the nurse manager designate as a controllable expense?
Number of staffing personnel on a shift
Overtime acquired due to an emergency
Wound care supplies used for a client
Depreciation of equipment value
The Correct Answer is C
Rationale:
A. Number of staffing personnel on a shift: While staffing can sometimes be adjusted based on patient census, minimum staffing levels are often mandated by policy, union agreements, or patient safety standards, making this a semi-controllable or fixed cost in many cases.
B. Overtime acquired due to an emergency: Overtime in response to unplanned events like emergencies is generally unpredictable and difficult to control in the moment. It is considered a variable but less controllable expense in budgeting.
C. Wound care supplies used for a client: Supplies like dressings and topical treatments are directly influenced by nursing choices and adherence to clinical protocols. Standardizing and monitoring supply usage can reduce waste, making this a controllable expense in the budget.
D. Depreciation of equipment value: Depreciation is a non-controllable, fixed expense calculated over time based on accounting rules. It reflects asset wear and tear and cannot be changed through day-to-day management practices.
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Related Questions
Correct Answer is C
Explanation
Rationale:
A. Assess a client who was transferred from PACU: Initial assessments of post-anesthesia clients require the expertise of an RN due to the potential for rapid clinical changes. This task falls outside the LPN’s scope of practice.
B. Teach a client how to use an incentive spirometer prior to surgery: Client education related to preoperative care is a nursing responsibility requiring critical thinking and evaluation skills, which are typically within the RN’s role, not the LPN's.
C. Insert a urinary catheter for a client: Inserting a urinary catheter is a common, routine procedure that is within the LPN’s scope of practice. It does not require advanced assessment or critical decision-making.
D. Update a client's plan of care: Developing or updating a plan of care involves clinical judgment and ongoing evaluation, which are responsibilities of the RN, not the LPN. LPNs may contribute data but do not revise plans independently.
Correct Answer is B
Explanation
Rationale:
A. Sending out written surveys to community members over the age of 50: This method involves direct input from residents and is useful for targeted data collection, but it is not part of a windshield survey, which relies on direct environmental observation.
B. Travelling through the community neighborhoods for visual observations: A windshield survey involves driving or walking through an area to make observations about housing, resources, infrastructure, and visible health risks. It provides firsthand, contextual insight into the community environment.
C. Holding a community meeting to gather information: Community meetings are effective for engaging stakeholders and collecting qualitative data, but they are not part of the observational method used in a windshield survey.
D. Researching national statics on disease outbreaks among adolescents: While useful for broader epidemiological insight, national statistics are not specific to the local community and are not obtained through a windshield survey approach.
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