The newly licensed nurse committed a clinical error and was sanctioned

QUESTION

The newly licensed nurse committed a clinical error and was sanctioned by the unit manager. What is the purpose of a sanction?

1. Enforcement of norms
2. Documentation of wrongdoing
3. Development of leader-follower leveling
4. Externalization of ethics

ANSWER:

Correct Answer: 1

Sanctions can be internal or external, positive or negative, and are used to enforce norms. They are used to increase internalization of ethics. Although the sanction will often result in a “paper trail” or documentation of the nurse’s error and may serve to reinforce the leader’s position as supervisor over this nurse, this is not its central purpose.