The nurse leader understands that gaining personal insight is one of the first steps to becoming a more effective leader. Which of the following statements about personal insight is true?

A. Critical pathways are designed to standardize care and ensure that key interventions and assessments are performed within specific timeframes to achieve optimal outcomes. However, flexibility might be necessary based on individual patient needs, and strict adherence to the exact order may not always be feasible or appropriate.
B. Critical pathways are primarily used to guide the management of specific clinical conditions or procedures rather than health promotion activities. They focus on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of patient care for specific diagnoses or treatments rather than general health promotion.

C. Critical pathways aim to standardize care and improve outcomes by following evidence-based practices, which can lead to more efficient use of resources and reduced costs. By streamlining care processes and minimizing variations, critical pathways can help achieve better patient outcomes and cost savings.
D. Critical pathways are typically developed by multidisciplinary teams, including clinical experts, to create standardized care plans based on best practices for specific conditions or procedures. They are not usually developed by individual providers for individual clients.

A. Recruiting volunteers might seem like a cost-effective solution, it can be problematic in terms of patient safety and quality of care. Volunteers generally lack the clinical training required to perform medical tasks safely and competently. Their involvement in direct patient care could pose risks to patient safety and may not effectively address staffing shortages in a meaningful way.
B. Developing a centralized staffing pool of float nurses is a strong intervention for addressing staffing shortages while securing patient safety and managing costs. Float nurses are experienced and can be deployed to various units as needed. This strategy ensures that staffing needs are met in a flexible and efficient manner, without compromising patient care. It also helps to balance the workload and prevents burnout among regular staff.
C. Assigning nurses from less busy units to understaffed ones can be effective, but it must be done with consideration for patient acuity. Nurses need to be assigned based on their skills and the needs of the unit to ensure that patient safety is maintained. If nurses from less busy units are assigned to areas with higher acuity patients without proper training or experience, it could compromise patient care and safety.
D. Implementing a mandatory overtime policy can address short-term staffing shortages but often leads to staff dissatisfaction, burnout, and decreased quality of care. Compelling nurses to work extra hours can negatively impact their well-being and job satisfaction, potentially leading to higher turnover rates and increased costs associated with recruiting and training new staff.