Question

After the nurses who work on an adolescent psychiatric unit have had a brainstorming session, they are ready to resolve the problem of teenagers who are unmanageable. To maximize group effectiveness in decision making and problem solving, the nurse manager has:

a. Prevented conflict.
b. Formed highly cohesive groups.
c. Used majority rule to arrive at decisions.
d. Encouraged equal participation among members.

Answer 1

Maximizing group effectiveness in decision making within a nursing context requires encouraging equal participation among team members to ensure collective contribution and reduce conformity costs.

Step-by-step explanation:

To maximize group effectiveness in decision making and problem solving on an adolescent psychiatric unit, the nurse manager should encourage equal participation among members. This approach helps to reduce conformity costs, which is the resistance some members might have in conforming to a decision that they don't agree with. By promoting equal participation, every member of the group has the opportunity to contribute to the solution, making it more likely that the decisions made are representative of the group's collective insights and expertise. This method aligns with strategies that suggest improving group decision making through various means such as seeking outside opinions and having the leader withhold position statements until all views are considered.