what is the primary role of a nurse mentor

ATI RN

ATI Leadership

1. What is the primary role of a nurse mentor?

A. To supervise nursing staff
B. To provide emotional support
C. To guide new nurses in their roles
D. To enforce policy compliance

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The primary role of a nurse mentor is to guide new nurses in their roles. This involves providing support, sharing knowledge and expertise, offering guidance for professional development, and assisting new nurses in adjusting to their roles and responsibilities. Option A, supervising nursing staff, is more aligned with a nurse manager's responsibilities rather than a mentor's. Option B, providing emotional support, is a part of the mentorship role but not the primary focus. Option D, enforcing policy compliance, is essential but not the primary role of a mentor, as mentoring focuses more on nurturing and developing new nurses.

2. A client who is postoperative is verbalizing pain as a 2 on a pain scale of 0 to 10. Which of the following statements should the nurse identify as an indication that the client understands the preoperative teaching they received about pain management?

A. ''I think I should take my pain medication more often, since it is not controlling my pain.''
B. ''Breathing faster will help me keep my mind off of the pain.''
C. ''It might help me to listen to music while I'm lying in bed.''
D. ''I don't want to walk today because I have some pain.''

Correct answer: D

Rationale: The correct answer is D because the client is demonstrating an understanding of the preoperative teaching by acknowledging the pain and relating it to the need to rest. Walking may exacerbate the pain, and the client's decision not to walk shows an awareness of their body's signals. Choices A, B, and C are incorrect as they do not reflect a good understanding of pain management. Choice A suggests self-medicating without consulting healthcare providers, choice B focuses on distraction rather than addressing the pain, and choice C offers a coping mechanism but does not address the pain directly.

3. A resident on night call refuses to answer pages from the staff nurse on the night shift and complains that she calls too often with minor problems. The nurse feels offended and reacts with frequent, middle-of-the-night phone calls to 'get back' at him. The behavior displayed by the resident and the nurse is an example of what kind of conflict?

A. Perceived conflict
B. Disruptive conflict
C. Competitive conflict
D. Felt conflict

Correct answer: B

Rationale: The correct answer is 'Disruptive conflict.' In disruptive conflict, the parties involved are engaged in activities to reduce, defeat, or eliminate the opponent. In this scenario, the resident and the nurse are engaging in behaviors that disrupt their professional relationship by intentionally ignoring pages and making excessive retaliatory calls. Perceived conflict refers to a situation where one or more parties believe that a conflict exists, competitive conflict involves striving to achieve personal goals at the expense of others, and felt conflict refers to the emotional involvement in a conflict situation.

4. Which of the following best describes the concept of shared governance?

A. Top-down management
B. Nurse-led committees
C. Shared decision making
D. Hierarchical structure

Correct answer: C

Rationale: The correct answer is C: 'Shared decision making.' Shared governance in healthcare involves empowering nurses to participate in decision-making processes that affect their practice. This model fosters collaboration, transparency, and accountability among healthcare providers. Choice A, 'Top-down management,' is incorrect because shared governance promotes a bottom-up approach. Choice B, 'Nurse-led committees,' is partially correct as it is a component of shared governance, but the core concept is broader and encompasses shared decision making beyond committee leadership. Choice D, 'Hierarchical structure,' is incorrect as shared governance aims to flatten hierarchies and distribute decision-making authority among healthcare team members.

5. Successful professional nurses benefit from working with mentors. What mutually rewarding outcomes are realized in mentoring relationships? (EXCEPT)

A. Instilling a sense of accomplishing a meaningful effort
B. Assuming each other's characteristics
C. Fostering an interdependent relationship
D. Promoting self-esteem

Correct answer: B

Rationale: Professional nurses who seek mentoring relationships work with their mentors to gain objective feedback, guidance, and confidence. A mentoring relationship is critical when making job decisions, establishing goals, discussing professional judgment, considering ethical issues, and in determining challenges for growth. Choice B, "Assuming each other's characteristics," is incorrect because mentoring is about learning, guidance, and support to develop one's own professional identity, not about assuming someone else's characteristics. Choices A, C, and D are all beneficial outcomes of mentoring relationships, including instilling a sense of accomplishment, fostering interdependence, and promoting self-esteem, respectively.