Stab me in the eye with my #2 pencil - grammar question Pronoun/verb agreement

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Hello, this sentence in the context of the ATI manual makes no sense to me. The question comes from the updated McGraw Hill 5 practice test book on pg. 130 # 13.

The ATI states "A pronoun and its antecedent must agree in number, meaning that wether the antecedent is singular or plural, the pronouns must be the same"

Question:

"The nursing staff ______ to serve their patients well."

A-hope

B-hopes

C-hoping

D-does hope

Staff can be singular or plural - with "their" it is plural

The answer according to the McGraw Hill book is "hope" not "hopes"

Their reasoning in the answer section is as follows:

"The word staff may be singular or plural. Here, the pronoun their indicates that it is being used as a plural noun, which means that the verb that agrees is hope."

Am I missing something - if its plural shouldn't the verb be plural as well?

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