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Leadership and Management

• Is there a recommended number of nursing staff for which each education specialist should be responsible? If so, what is that number?
• How do we evaluate the need to use apps as teaching interventions, and how do we incorporate apps into a teaching program?
• What steps should my organization take when building a safe patient handling (SPH) program?
• What strategies can we implement to provide ongoing education about preventing errors at our facility?
• Where does case management fit in the revenue cycle?
• What are the basic requirements of shared governance systems?
• What is an alternative to organizing a traditional scavenger hunt as a teaching strategy?
• Could you explain the tracer process and its applications in a healthcare setting?
• How can I continue to evaluate and sustain patient safety efforts among my staff?
• What information should I know about adult learners when creating my residency program?
• What is fair use and what are some examples of fair use as it applies to staff development?
• What do safety events and errors cost my organization?
• What is queuing theory and how does it relate to my organization?
• What are some of the benefits of holding staff accountable to a certain standard of behavior?
• What are some tips for establishing a CAUTI prevention program and educating others in my organization?
• What is the purpose of developing a process improvement opportunity statement when evaluating our quality improvement initiative?
• What information should my staff include in reports of adverse events and near misses?
• How can I prepare the nurses on my unit for changes in our organization?
• How can I recognize my nurses’ efforts in quality improvement?
• What are some things to consider when I’m making a proposal to the executive team at my organization?
• How can I ease the burden of on-demand training and inservices to quickly meet training needs?
• How can I help my staff nurses achieve a greater level of clinical expertise?
• When should I engage staff nurses in constructive coaching?
• What’s the first step to implement a Just Culture?
• How can I make sure I’m providing feedback to all my staff nurses?
• How does my organization establish a Just Culture that encourages nurses to report errors and near misses?
• How do I create an engaging classroom setting for new nurses?
• How can I make sure the many alarms, systems, and other technologies I use are helping me deliver quality care instead of hindering me?
• What decision making strategies can I teach my charge nurses?
• What are some strategies I can teach to my charge nurses to develop and facilitate talent in their department?
• How has crew resource management used in the aviation industry been applied to healthcare and nursing?
• How do nurse managers conduct a charge nurse evaluation?
• What should be my end goals when trying to make a transition to a just culture in my organization?
• What are some ways that leadership can communicate patient safety and a just culture to staff?
• I get a lot of pushback from my staff when it comes to error reporting. They often say it is a difficult process to complete. How can I encourage my staff to be more involved in error reporting and also make it easier for them?
• I've been hearing a lot about applications for mobile devices being used for training and education. What are these exactly, and should we be using them?
• How do I create an e-mail computer-based learning course?
• Is it necessary for my facility to have a process improvement team before it will see significant beneficial results in my facility's quality improvement processes?
• When researching material for creating an educational or training activity, how can I find out whether a work is copyrighted?
• I recently designed a quality improvement (QI) program for my facility, but staff nurses complain they are too busy. How can I get staff nurses involved and interested in the process of improvement?
• Is there an effective way to have new charge nurses meet everyone in the various departments without taking up too much time?
• My organization is developing a charge nurse orientation this year and we are having difficulty deciding what policies and procedures should be highlighted. Is there an easier way to go about this?
• My organization is in the process of formalizing its shared governance model. What are some important aspects we should consider while we begin to discuss bylaws?
• My unit just completed an employee-satisfaction survey and quite a few areas that need improvement were brought to my attention. How can I prioritize where I should start and what needs updating?
• I just transferred to a new organization, and as a nurse manager, what kind of financial role should I expect to have at my new place of employment?
• My organization has just recently identified its nursing sensitive indicators. Is there a way I can classify each indicator into a group?
• My facility is in the early stages of preparing to apply for American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet Recognition Program® designation, and I am interested in finding out more about the importance of shared governance in the journey itself.
• What are the differences between orientation and skills checklists?
• How can I ensure I will not be brought to court for letting go a problem employee?
• I have been looking at redesigning my facility’s orientation program and am wondering what key points I should review when deciding what to add or change?
• Our organization is interested in exploring the process to become designated as an ANCC Magnet Recognition Program® (MRP) institution. How can I involve my leadership team on the journey?
• I am new to the nurse manager’s role and still have trouble distinguishing between the different steps of disciplinary action. Can you identify each step and a necessary instance to use them?
• What staff members should be included when developing a CAUTI prevention team?
• What are the different methods used for calculating budgets?
• As a nurse manager dealing with new nursing graduates, what are some key ethical concepts I should cover to reiterate the importance of the issue?
• How can I tell whether horizontal hostility is a problem on my unit?
• What are the steps for creating a culture that drives great nurse performance?
• What role do critical thinking skills play when charting?
• What precautions can I take for a fall-prone patient?
• I will be relocating in a couple of months and need to start sending out resumes and cover letters to area facilities so I can continue my nursing career. Do you have any tips for writing cover letters?
• Can you provide me with some tips in regard to designing a structure to support shared governance?
• My facility will soon be adopting an electronic documentation system that will allow nurses to input information into patients' health records. What elements should my staff assess in regard to patients at risk for CAUTIs?
• I am writing up a business plan to present to the chief executive officer at my facility. Do you have any advice for writing an executive summary?
• How should I go about incorporating evidence-based practice (EBP) concepts into the nursing practice committee at my facility?
• Myself and other hospital staff recently formed a team to drive efforts to prevent hospital-acquired conditions (HACs). Any tips for getting started?
• What are some day-to-day strategies my nurses can implement to shape a better overall nursing image?
• My nurses take many precautions to prevent patient falls, such as assisting patients during trips to the bathroom and ensuring canes and walkers are available. What are some lifestyle risk factors my nurses should be aware of to reduce falls?
• The nursing research council at my facility is trying to pinpoint topics that should be addressed with evidence-based practice. How should we go about identifying areas of concern?
• My facility is planning on purchasing static pressure-reducing mattresses. Do you have any recommendations?
• Do have any advice to help nurse managers engage staff in evidence-based practice?
• Can you share any advice to assist nurse managers in conducting annual performance reviews?
• What strategies can we implement in our facility to ensure our staff nurses document their nursing notes each shift?
• How can I promote a positive and professional nursing culture at my organization?
• How can I identify my patients’ and consumers’ expectations about the service and care they receive in the ED?
• What is the best way to respond to a staff member who raises a grievance with me?
• Do you know of work sampling techniques which categorize activities nurses perform?
• How can I assess whether horizontal hostility is a problem on my unit?
• How should I go about implementing a shared decision-making model at my facility?
• What approach should I take when evaluating the validity of research in evidence-based nursing?
• When assessing the competency of a staff member, what is the best way to offer constructive criticism?
• How can I help my staff identify areas of concern in evidence-based practice?
• With all of my responsibilities at work, it is easy to get side-tracked. Any tips on how I can manage my time?
• What information should I incorporate into my position control document?
• A staff member has been creating tension with other nurses in my unit and I need to respond to this. What steps should I consider in approaching this person?
• What is the best way to deal with a patient-staff member conflict?
• How can I prepare myself before presenting my budget plan to a supervisor?
• Do you recommend professional models of care?
• How do I deal with a nurse who has chronic attendance problems and a proven diagnosis of fibromyalgia?
• How do I evaluate my staff to assess whether or not there are hostility problems on my unit?
• How do you suggest getting a succession planning program off the ground?

Communication

• What makes a good corrective action?
• I have a plan for new services and products, and I need to present it to executives in my organization. What information should I include?
• Why is it important to acknowledge accountability among my colleagues?
• What are the benefits of having written guidance for processes and procedures?
• How should I respond to actions that are determined to be effective or ineffective?
• What types of obstacles might I face when trying to foster communication and collaboration among my staff?
• How do communication and personal accountability relate to one another?
• What is active listening and how does it relate to accountability?
• How does communication factor into the success of my quality improvement plan?
• What are some of the benefits of curbing disruptive behavior that I can share with my nurses when implementing a program to address behavioral issues?
• How can I clearly express my expectations of responsibility and accountability with my staff?
• How can I ensure that I am providing good feedback to my nurses?
• How can I effectively communicate the financial performance aspects of my organization to my department staff?
• How do the eight essentials of the ANCC Magnet Recognition Program(R) relate to shared governance?
• How can I ensure educational activities take into account the different learning styles of the various generations on my unit?
• How can nurse managers use performance evaluations to enhance healthy communication among their staff?
• How does crew resource management use task load division to ensure attention distribution, and can I apply it to my nursing unit?
• After a research project, how do I effectively communicate my findings?
• How do I implement effective briefings that are used in the operating room on the nursing unit?
• How do I know when to give constructive feedback and coaching, and when to confront?
• I just took on the role of a nurse mentor. How do I build a trusting relationship between myself and the nurse I am mentoring?
• What is a just culture principle document, and what should it include?
• What are some nurse-driven projects I can implement to improve patient satisfaction?
• How do I incorporate communication skills into my staff orientation?
• What are some quality improvement (QI) programs I can start at my facility to monitor and improve nurse satisfaction?
• My facility is considering collaboration with an online education company to gain access to programs that offer contact hours. How do I ensure I'm choosing a company that will successfully suit my facility's needs?
• Is it a good idea to use social networking sites as staff development resources, and how do I make sure I am using them properly?
• A staff QI meeting for the frontline workforce in my facility is becoming increasingly difficult to implement due to everyone's busy schedule. What can I do to show that these meetings should be a priority?
• My organization is developing a quality improvement program and is going to start holding meetings soon. How should I go about this process to make sure I am following my organization’s requirements for meetings?
• How can I engage the nurses on my unit in quality improvement initiatives?
• Nursing research in my organization has just been completed and I am wondering what are effective ways to reach out to staff to make them aware of the results and potential changes.
• I am a new nurse manager and am looking to develop a code of conduct for the unit. What should be included to ensure the code is successful?
• How can I identify nursing indicators during a peer review process?
• What kind of role does communication play in quality improvement?
• My unit has been having difficulty deciding which prevention method to use for pressure ulcers. What are some effective ways I can consider when presenting the methods to leadership?
• What kind of advice can I offer the few nurses on my unit who have begun research studies and are unsure of the type of research design they should use?
• My facility has put an emphasis on quality improvement over the past few months. How can I identify the roles of nurses at every level in the quality improvement initiative?
• How can I improve the nursing culture on my unit?
• I am beginning to develop a nursing peer review process on my unit, but am concerned about the legal aspect. Are there are any laws to protect the information and my staff members?
• A few of the nurses on my unit have approached me about nursing research. What information can I give them to help get them started in the process?
• Transitioning from a nursing student to an RN can be stressful. How can I help new RNs identify, cope, and overcome stress?
• How can I get other nurse managers and supervisors to be accountable?
• Recently on my unit, I have noticed a strain between nurse-physician relationships. Are there any ways I can strengthen the relationships and help improve the quality of care patients receive?
• How can I create a healthy environment for nursing students?
• Can you provide me with scripting techniques that will help my staff confidently discuss pain assessment with patients?
• Do you have any recommendations for communication models that my nurses can use to improve patient interactions?
• Lately there has been some miscommunication between myself and my staff. Do you have any tips for providing feedback and improving communication on my unit?
• I am planning on departing my facility in a few weeks to fulfill a nurse manager position at another hospital in the area. How can I make this career change while maintaining the respect of the colleagues I will leave behind?
• Do you have any advice that can help new nurse managers improve communication and develop relationships with staff?
• How can I improve communication with my charge nurses?
• How can I help my new nurses multitask and focus on communicating with our patients effectively?
• Is there any advice I can pass off to my nurses to curb disruptive behavior between nurses and physicians at our facility?
• Are there any quick tips I can pass on to my nurses to improve telephone communication between them and physicians at my facility?
• Medication administration can be stressful when I am caring for a child. How can I improve communication between myself and the parents of my younger patients?
• What are some ways to effectively communicate research findings to the rest of my facility so I can make needed changes in our clinical practice?
• Horizontal violence seems to be taking a toll on a few of my new grad nurses. How can I help them manage the situation if it happens again?
• Sometimes I feel like my staff hears better than it listens. Do you have any tips to pass along?
• A few of my nurses have been disaggreeing with our physicians over treatment decisions for patients. What is some advice I can give them?
• Some of my newer nurses have expressed anxiety about dealing with dying patients. Do you have any tips?
• Any advice for working with a borderline personality?
• Why is horizontal hostility so virulent?
• How do I create an environment of open communication for my staff?
• How do I avoid last-minute conflict with physicians over discharge orders?
• What advice do you have for dealing with two nurses who just don't get along?

Staffing

• What type of information should I provide to new hires during orientation?
• What are competency checklists, and how are they used by staff educators?
• Do you have any recommendations on strategies for educating my staff about resource management without lecturing them?
• Could you please explain the characteristics of an advanced beginner in staff development?
• What are the most important things to include in my nursing orientation program?
• Who are the key stakeholders in evaluating my organization’s nurse residency program?
• What are some meaningful ways that I can recognize the members of my staff?
• What role do mentors have in my organization’s nurse orientation program?
• What is the best approach to analyzing the variances in my budget?
• How can individual departments in my organization move towards a just culture to ensure effective quality improvement?
• What is self-directed learning, and how can I incorporate it into my nurse residency program to engage new nurses?
• How can I structure the timing of my organization’s nurse residency program to ensure that all the necessary content is covered?
• What should a good orientation for new staff development employees include?
• What should be considered when utilizing a ratio staffing structure?
• How can I retain my older, more experienced nurses?
• How do we develop our shared governance unit-council bylaws?
• How should we educate charge nurses about policies and procedures?
• How can I find good candidates for my open staff nurse positions?
• What is required of nurses on unit-level councils?
• How can I explain shared governance to direct-care nurses?
• How do I calculate the new graduate nurse turnover at my facility and use it properly to make a case for a nurse residency program?
• What are some important things to look for when I'm considering who to hire for a nurse leader position?
• What are some important things to avoid when evaluating the performance of my staff?
• What are some interview questions I should ask candidates who are applying for a charge nurse position to see if they are a good fit?
• What are some nurse-driven projects I can implement to improve nurse satisfaction?
• I want to use computer-based learning, but how do I justify the cost on a tight budget?
• I'd like to start using computer-based learning (CBL) for my staff training. How do I select the right vendor?
• How do I incorporate evidence-based practice into my staff orientation?
• How do I incorporate critical thinking and persuasive discussion skills into my staff orientation?
• How do I incorporate Joint Commission survey requirements into my staff orientation?
• How can I enhance a lecture-style presentation to make it more interesting for my staff?
• A group of new graduate nurses were recently hired at my facility. How do I ensure that I am picking competent nurses who will properly precept and mentor them?
• My organization is hiring a staff development specialist and I'm in charge of filling the position. How do I know whether an internal candidate would be best for the job, or if I someone new should be hired?
• My organization does not have a new-graduate nurse residency program in place. What are some tools I can use to support new-graduates?
• What are the advantages of using computer-based learning (CBL) as an educational approach?
• What education programs are best conducted in a classroom setting?
• Many new orientees want guidance and support beyond the period of orientation. How can my organization offer this to them?
• My organization is going back and forth about including staff members (non-managers) in the interviewing process of new hires. Why is it important to include these staff?
• My organization is developing a shared governance model. How can I help identify nursing's role in the model?
• I am a new nurse manager on my unit and am wondering how I can improve communication and understanding between the physicians and my staff.
• I am working on improving how staff members on my unit are recognized and rewarded. What are the key factors I should remember when developing new programs?
• How will a unit-specific competency-based orientation program benefit the new nursing staff coming to my unit?
• On my unit, I am beginning to notice some hostility between nurses, and was wondering what effect this behavior will have on the rest of the staff if the issue is not addressed immediately?
• I have new nurses on my unit, and know reality shock can be tough. How can I help them overcome reality shock and be successful in their new position?
• What are some strategies to help monitor the effectiveness of patient hand-offs during my nurses’ change-of shifts?
• Some preceptors on my unit are training to be mentors and I am unfamiliar with the role mentors should play. What are some examples of mentor roles?
• As a nurse manager, how can I get staff members to be accountable?
• What are the criteria for treating a catheter-associated urinary tract infection?
• What are some easy-to-implement suggestions my nurses can follow to improve patient satisfaction?
• What risk factors should my nurses watch for to identify patients who may have a catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) present on admission (POA)?
• Can you provide me with information regarding extrinsic fall risk factors with which I can educate my nurses?
• Do you have any tips to help nurses adapt to working the nightshift?
• Do you have any evidence-based practices for monitoring a patient after a fall?
• Do you have any guidelines for developing a self-assessment tool to evaluate new nurses' critical thinking skills?
• Do you have any time management tips I can share with my new graduates?
• Do you have any advice to help my staff to improve safety when administering cardiovascular medication to pediatric patients?
• Do you have any tips to help staff deal with a coworkers’ unprofessional behavior?
• Do you have any advice to help travel nurses settle into their assignments at my facility?
• Do you know of any creative ways my nurses can ease medication administration to pediatric patients?
• Can you please provide me with some simple teambuilding exercise samples and also some examples of change mechanisms to implement in my unit?
• Do you have any tips for helping staff display a positive and professional nursing image?
• How can I facilitate collaboration between nursing and medical staff at my hospital?
• Some of the preceptors at my facility are having difficulty teaching orientees critical thinking skills. Do you have any advice?
• Any tips to help my nurses when administering medication to a pediatric patient?
• How can I manage schedule conflict with my multigenerational staff?
• Do you have any tips for providing feedback to staff?
• Do you have any advice to help engage my multigenerational workforce in meetings?
• How can I coach my new graduates through bad patient outcomes?
• Orientation is often a stressful time for new graduates. Is there anything I can do to ease them into it?
• How do I approach a staff member whose work performance seems to be declining each day?
• When hiring new nurses, I often wish I could see into the future and whether they will work out in the long run. What should I focus on during the interview?
• Some of my staff members seem lethargic lately. Any advice on how I can boost staff motivation?
• Different employees need different incentives to keep them happy. I wish there were a guide. Any tips?
• A lot of my nurses have been complaining about back and foot problems. Do you have any tips?
• We frequently give out formal recognition and rewards on our unit, but I'm wondering if you could give me some examples of informal ones?
• How can I make recognition and reward programs a part of my work culture?
• What are some practical tips to improve the interview and hiring process?
• Are concierge services a good recruiting hook?