Answer to Question 1
C
Variance from measures of productivity or ratio of outputs to inputs does not necessarily offer an explanation of whether or not care was delivered as needed. Before proceeding to any further conclusion, the nurse manager will need to investigate reasons for the decreased output.
Answer to Question 2
B
The National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI) is a national repository for unit-based quality data that can be used by organizations to benchmark the outcomes of care against those of other institutions (ANA, n.d.). Unit-based quality indicators, including satisfac-tion with nursing care, are a key feature of the NDNQI. In addition to hospitals being provided with their own and comparison data, researchers are able to access de-identified data in order to answer important questions about nursing care quality. Pain management, the discharge process, and post-discharge patient callbacks are specific areas where nurses can make significant im-provement in patient satisfaction. Because patients and nurses may differ in what they see as factors that produce satisfaction, total reliance on nursing perceptions of patient satisfaction may not provide a complete picture.