BTSC Staff Nurse 31 July-2025
Fundamental of Nursing
Medium

Which of the following statements is an example of the functional method of nursing care delivery?

Appeared in: BTSC Staff Nurse 31 July-2025

Explanation

  • The functional method of nursing is a task-oriented model of care delivery.
  • In this model, the work is divided into specific tasks, and each staff member is assigned a particular task to perform for all patients on the unit.
  • The correct option exemplifies this by assigning the task of medication administration to a registered nurse for all patients, and the task of providing bed baths to a nursing assistant for all patients.
  • This approach focuses on efficiency and completing tasks rather than on holistic, patient-centered care.

Why Other Options Were Wrong

  • Option A: This statement describes the Total Patient Care (or Case Method) model, where one nurse assumes full responsibility for all the needs of a group of patients during their shift.
  • Option B: This statement describes Team Nursing, where a group of healthcare providers, led by a Registered Nurse (RN), works collaboratively to care for a group of patients.
  • Option D: This statement describes Primary Nursing, where one nurse (the primary nurse) is responsible for planning and overseeing a patient's care 24/7 from admission through discharge.

Related Visual

Visual explanation — Related Visual
Clinical Relevance
  • Nursing practice connection: Knowing Nursing Care Delivery Models helps nurses interpret findings accurately and avoid errors in routine assessment, medication administration, and patient teaching.
  • Understanding different nursing care delivery models is crucial for nurses to adapt to various healthcare settings and understand their roles and responsibilities within the team.
  • The functional model, while efficient, can lead to fragmented care and decreased patient satisfaction. Nurses working in this model must make extra efforts to communicate with other team members to ensure a complete picture of the patient's status.
  • What if the priority was to ensure high continuity of care and build a strong therapeutic relationship with the patient? In that case, Primary Nursing would be a more suitable model than Functional Nursing.
How to Approach the Question
  • First, identify the key term in the question: 'functional method of nursing care'.
  • Recall the definition of the functional method: it is a task-oriented system where care is broken down into tasks, and each staff member is assigned a specific task for all patients.
  • Read each option carefully and evaluate it against this definition.
  • Option A describes Total Patient Care.
  • Option B describes Team Nursing.
  • Option C describes tasks (medication administration, bed baths) being divided among different staff members for all patients, which perfectly matches the functional method.
Concept Tested & Keywords
  • Concept Tested: Nursing Care Delivery Models
  • Stem keywords: functional method, nursing care delivery
  • Lead-in keywords: example of
  • Negative lead-in flag: false

Question ID

QxQPOGklO9UFJ_lqArM7dy

Reference Book

E6 Principles and Practice of NURSING Management Leadership for BSc Nursing 3rd Edi Jogindra Vati — Subpart A (pp 26-339 of 1017) pp. 266-268, 267-269

E6 Nursing Fundamentals Potter Perry 12e Part 2 p. 69-71

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