1) Which of the following descriptions best describes “leadership”?
a) A firm, unyielding position on what should be done to solve a problem
b) A set of beliefs based upon principle
c) A positive, “let’s do something about it” attitude toward problems
d) A posture of resistance to those in authority
c) A positive, “let’s do something about it” attitude toward problems
2) Reggie is a new pharmacist in a surgical intensive care unit. He notices that it is taking an average of three hours from the time an order is placed until a patient receives an antibiotic (the goal is one hour). What might Reggie do if he were to act like a leader?
a) Look into the cause of the problem and research how other ICUs have solved it.
b) Tell his supervisor about the data.
c) Transfer to a different ICU that has improved outcomes.
d) Make sure that patients during his shift get antibiotics faster by paying close attention to orders.
a) Look into the cause of the problem and research how other ICUs have solved it.
3) Reggie takes a look at the time between antibiotic order and administration in the other ICUs in his hospital. He discovers that most of the ICUs have the same problem. This is an example of which of the following actions of leaders discussed in this lesson?
a) Reframing the issue
b) Connecting to a powerful ally
c) Forming a clearer picture of the problem
d) Proving his case
c) Forming a clearer picture of the problem
4) When effective leaders hear others complaining about a problem, which action would they most likely take?
a) Change the subject to talk about something interesting.
b) Try to learn how big the problem really is.
c) Add their own complaints to the chorus.
d) All of the above
b) Try to learn how big the problem really is.
5) Your hospital has recently begun using the World Health Organization (WHO) Surgical Safety Checklist in all of its operating rooms. As chief of surgery, you have been hearing different reports about the use of the checklist; apparently, some surgeons are all for it, while others remain skeptical. You are curious about finding out how well and often the checklist is actually being used. Which of the following might be a good first step to take?
a) Request that an assistant be assigned to the administrative details, so that you can focus on the true work of leadership.
b) Go to the operating rooms and observe the checklist being used a few times. Collect some data about the use of the checklist
c) Talk to surgical nurses about their experience with the checklist.
d) B and C
d) B and C
1) Which of the following best describes a workable level of unity?
a) When everyone on a team is unanimously in favor of a proposal
b) When a team is unable to reach a consensus and cannot move forward.
c) When a group is willing to try an action together, even if there isn’t complete agreement on what to do
d) When an authority figure makes a rule that everyone must follow
c) When a group is willing to try an action together, even if there isn’t complete agreement on what to do
2) You are working on decreasing adverse events related to medication errors, a serious problem on your pediatrics unit. After gathering some data, you present it to your colleagues on the unit. The result is several days of heated discussion among various caregivers. As a leader, at this point you should:
a) Meet with the hospital’s chief executive and ask her to mandate the changes you have in mind.
b) Work to engage as many individuals on the unit as possible, investigating the source of their worries and responding to their concerns.
c) Recognize the level of anxiety this topic has provoked and back off for a while to allow people to digest the information.
d) Consider trying out your ideas on another unit to avoid causing more anxiety on this one.
b) Work to engage as many individuals on the unit as possible, investigating the source of their worries and responding to their concerns.
3) You and a fellow medical student have learned that in many countries, doctors avoid wearing long-sleeved coats at work because the coats can carry harmful bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). You and your friend would love to see providers in the US stop wearing the coats. A conference of hospital and clinic leaders is coming up. How might you pique their interest in this issue of wearing long-sleeved coats?
a) Tell them the story of one patient who became sick with a health care-acquired infection.
b) Tell them how much money could be saved if long-sleeved coats were banned.
c) Show them data about how American MRSA rates compare with those of other countries.
d) All of the above
d) All of the above
4) You are working to improve the care of diabetics in your community health clinic, and today you’re giving a presentation to the clinic’s leadership. You begin by telling the story of Kevin, a diabetic in the clinic who underwent a below-the-knee amputation after years of poorly controlled diabetes. What is the reason for telling this story?
a) Motivate by guilt.
b) Engage the largest possible number of people in the room.
c) Demonstrate that the data that you collected is valid.
d) Expose a possible legal liability.
b) Engage the largest possible number of people in the room.
5) In order to persuade the “logical” individuals in the room, what should you be sure to include in your presentation about improving care for patients with diabetes?
a) Average blood pressure and cholesterol levels (quality of care measures) of the clinic’s patients with diabetes
b) A photograph of a patient who suffered unnecessarily from poorly controlled diabetes
c) A list of the providers in the clinic with the worst patient satisfaction measures
d) A reminder of the Board of Trustees’ stated goal of improving chronic disease care
a) Average blood pressure and cholesterol levels (quality of care measures) of the clinic’s patients with diabetes
1) What can quality improvement teams learn from Renoir, Monet, and Cezanne?
a) Improvement, like artistic work, should be a solo journey.
b) Your personal compass always points the way.
c) Teamwork can lead to creative ideas.
d) All of the above
c) Teamwork can lead to creative ideas.
2) In the lesson, IHI fellow Jana Deen explained that she went back to her roots and focused on patients to start making changes in health care. What other resources might be helpful as you seek to improve health care?
a) Social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter
b) National conferences
c) Listservs
d) All of the above
d) All of the above
3) Michael Pugh talks about the distinction between management and leadership. Which of the following is most indicative of leadership?
a) Commanding people
b) Hiring people
c) Influencing people
d) Problem solving
c) Influencing people
4) You gather some data about the use of a surgical checklist in your operating rooms and have an idea for an improvement. At the next month’s meeting, you present the idea to your colleagues. The most likely outcomes will include:
a) Everyone on the team will be immediately inspired by the data to make a change.
b) The initial opinions of each member of the team will be firmly embedded, and nothing you can do will change them.
c) People will have different reactions; some will support you, others will initially resist you.
d) People will naturally reject the validity of the data.
c) People will have different reactions; some will support you, others will initially resist you.
5) According to Peter Drucker, which of the following statements is true?
a) An effective leader knows that a leader is not someone who is loved or admired.
b) An effective leader knows that leaders are highly visible.
c) Effective leaders submit themselves to the “mirror test.”
d) All of the above
d) All of the above
