1. In the context of healthcare operations management, which of the following is a primary consideration when scheduling staff for a nursing unit? A) Employee preferences B) Patient satisfaction scores C) Cost-effectiveness D) Skill mix and patient acuity levels Answer: D) Skill mix and patient acuity levels Rationale: Ensuring that the staff skill mix aligns with patient acuity levels is crucial for providing high-quality patient care and maintaining safety standards. 2. Which quality improvement tool is most effective for identifying the root cause of a delay in patient discharge processes? A) Flowchart B) Check sheet C) Fishbone diagram D) Pareto chart Answer: C) Fishbone diagram Rationale: The fishbone diagram helps in systematically identifying and visualizing the root causes of a specific problem, which is essential for process improvement in operations management. 3. When managing inventory in a hospital setting, which inventory control method is preferred to ensure critical medical supplies are always available? A) Just-in-time (JIT) B) ABC analysis C) Economic order quantity (EOQ) D) Vendor-managed inventory (VMI) Answer: B) ABC analysis Rationale: ABC analysis categorizes inventory based on importance and usage rates, ensuring that critical items are prioritized and readily available. 4. In operations management, which performance metric is most relevant for assessing the efficiency of a hospital's emergency department?