Read the following passage: "When the hospital implemented mandatory overtime policies last year, the nursing staff vacancy rate dropped from 22% to 18%. However, employee satisfaction scores fell by 14 points, and calls to the employee assistance program increased by 31%. Incident reports for medication errors rose 9% over the same period." Which conclusion is best supported by the passage?
- A.Mandatory overtime is the single most effective strategy for addressing nurse shortages
- B.Reducing vacancies through mandatory overtime may negatively affect staff well-being and patient safety
- C.Medication errors increased solely because of staff inexperience
- D.Employee satisfaction scores are unrelated to patient outcomes
Show answer & rationale
Correct answer
B. Reducing vacancies through mandatory overtime may negatively affect staff well-being and patient safety
Rationale
B is correct: The passage shows that while vacancies declined, satisfaction dropped, EAP calls rose, and medication errors increased, all suggesting that mandatory overtime carries costs in staff well-being and safety outcomes. This inference is directly supported by the data in the passage. A is incorrect: The passage does not compare mandatory overtime to other strategies, so calling it 'most effective' is unsupported. C is incorrect: The passage attributes the error increase temporally to the overtime policy period, not to staff inexperience. D is incorrect: The passage implies the opposite, a link between low satisfaction and negative outcomes, but does not explicitly state they are 'unrelated.'
Key concepts