Author Question: A nurse manager is educating staff members on the unit regarding the unit's expenses. The manager's ... (Read 164 times)

leo leo · **on:** Jul 8, 2018

A nurse manager is educating staff members on the unit regarding the unit's expenses. The manager's objective is to help the staff members become more careful and efficient when using supplies on the unit.

Which of the following actions might work to increase efficiency among the staff members?
1. Hire more certified nursing assistants to provide direct client care activities.
2. Supplies will be moved out of the clean supply room and placed throughout the unit.
3. Label the cost of each item in the clean supply room.
4. Limit specific items, such as dressing change materials.

Question 2

The nurse manager is reviewing the previous month's budget. The nurse manager notes that there is a positive (or favorable) variance of full-time equivalents. This is most likely a result of which of the following?

1. Overstaffed unit
2. Low client acuity
3. Increased use of supplies
4. Increased sick time use

Loise Hard · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 8, 2018

Answer to Question 1

Answer: 3
Rationale: When items in the clean supply room are labeled with an associated cost, this increases the staff members' awareness of how much each item costs. This can lead to an increased efficiency on the unit in regard to supply use. This can help reduce the supplies that are being used wastefully on the unit. Hiring more certified nursing assistants will not reduce the supply budget or increase efficiency in regard to supply usage. Moving supplies out of one centralized location might help with efficiency regarding work, but will not reduce the supply budget. Limiting items that are available will reduce the supply budget, but is not in the client's best interests. This action could lead to increased infection rates and an increased workload for the nurses. Physicians' orders must be followed, and supplies must be readily available to perform interventions on the unit.

Answer to Question 2

Answer: 2

Rationale: When there is a positive variance of full-time equivalents, it means that there were fewer staff members working than was expected. The nurse manager budgeted to pay more to personnel than what was actually needed. Often, nurse managers develop staffing plans based on client acuity levels. The client acuity levels might have been lower than expected and fewer nurses were needed to work on the unit during this time period. If the unit had been overstaffed, this would have resulted in a negative or unfavorable variance of full-time equivalents. With increased use of supplies, this indicates an increase in client acuity levels, and would be reflected on the supply budget as an unfavorable or negative variance. Increased sick time use would have resulted in an increase of the personnel budget, an increase in the full-time equivalents that were paid to work during this time, and a negative or unfavorable variance.