More Pleasant Dreams

Imagine yourself as night-shift charge nurse on the medical-surgical unit. For several months you have had a problem with the staff nurse whose performance you consider unsatisfactory. She seems to continually take advantage of quiet times during her shift to doze off at the nursing station. You have reprimanded her several times for sleeping on the job, and you have reached the point where you believe you can no longer simply scold her for her conduct. Her position, however, is that "it's no big deal,” that she’s always certain to hear any calls signals as long as she’s at the nursing station. (Your hospital has a clear policy concerning written warnings, the policy is relatively loose concerning overall warnings; these can be unlimited and issued at your discretion, so you can deliver as many as you believe necessary.)For a written warning to become official and entered into an employee’s personnel file, it must be agreed to and countersigned by the units nurse manager and the director of nursing. You issued the offending nurse to written warnings; but warnings cleared from the office of the director of nursing, and there has been no follow-up from the direction. Meanwhile, the employee continues to be a problem. Assignment: Complete the following questions. You will be expected to respond to all questions related to the case. Responses should be well written. Write at least 1 paragraph per question. 1. What would your decision be concerning the sleeping employee if it were not necessary to clear such actions through the director of nursing? 2. Assuming you have indeed "hit a wall”, as described in the final paragraph of the case, what would you consider doing to try to get some action or support? 3. If you feel stuck with the reality of having your personnel decisions approved---or essentially made---by higher management, what information would you assemble and how would you prepare yourself to try getting a decision favorable to you from your chain of command? 4. What is the director of nursing actually doing by reserving the right to approve or veto your decisions?