Nursing

Nursing

Name

Institution

Nursing

What issues could be present in a unit that would create feelings of powerlessness among the staff?

The management can have extreme dominance in all situations and this will make the workers feel powerless. This is especially the case if the staff has to run every decision through the management. The staff will feel powerless in such situations because they will not have the chance to exercise any of the knowledge and skills they have. Another issue that would make the employees feel that they do not have any form of power is if the management or those in supervision fail to consider their suggestions on how to deal with certain situations. Some of the workers have gained a lot of experience in the emergency department even if they are not in positions of management. They might have effective solutions on how to handle certain situations. However, if the management undermines their knowledge and experience, then the staff members will feel powerless. The staff members will experience periods of powerlessness if they are not allowed to take additional tasks or diversify their skills at the workplace. The workers might have specialized in different areas; however, if they are only given defined and rigid positions, then they feel powerless over their situation.

What are some of the sources of power that might be found?

People with high qualifications in terms of education and experience will have more power. People approach them for advice before making decisions and they ask for permission on what to do incase there is a crisis. Junior staff may see it better to ask for counsel from their colleagues who have had more experience, instead of approaching their managers and supervisors. Staff members with access to information and resources that are limited to the general workforce have some power. They can get details and information concerning diverse issues, which are limited to other personnel. They can exercise this form of power irrespective of their positions. Another source of power is authority and position. People in high positions and those who command great authority have power. The board of directors or trustees and the hospital administration holds most of the power in a hospital.

How might Nancy encourage the staff to become empowered as well as defuse some of the behaviors of others contributing to the staff’s feelings of powerlessness?

Nancy can encourage the staff members to approach the management and address their work situations instead of quitting. They can present their concerns to the management, and this will ensure that those in positions of leadership and management know what is plaguing the unit. People can feel more empowered if they gain more education as this is a direct way towards ensuring professional development (Dolan, 2013). This will increase their chances of getting higher positions, where they can make decisions. Staff who are competent and those who enjoy and find meaning in their work are more likely to feel empowered (Weiss & Tappen, 2014). On the other hand, the management has a big role to play. It needs to consider the costs and expenses associated with high turnovers. This will make it take a greater interest in trying to resolve the issues that the workers have. The management needs to understand that the workers will get the morale to lead change, take risks, and increase in innovation when they feel empowered (Dolan 2013)

What information should you obtain from the staff on your unit prior to attending the meeting?

The first step is to find out the sentiments and feelings of the other workers concerning the survey and the proposed policies. The workers have a right to opinion regarding the issue since it will affect them directly. It is possible that the opinions of the workers will differ from those indicated in the survey. The nurses might feel that shared governance offers them great benefits in terms of reducing their workload, enabling them to solve problems more effectively, or even enhancing accountability.

What other information would you gather about returning to 8-hour shifts prior to attending the meeting?

I would need to compare the benefits of working eight-hour shifts to those of using shared governance in the unit. Although the opinions from the staff are very important, they might be biased since they represent their subjective opinion. Conducting individual research concerning the benefits and costs involved in both models will give me the chance to conduct an objective opinion. Therefore, I would research on benefits of implementing the eight-hour shift, the changes that would have to be made, the costs and expenses involved, and any additional resources required. I would then use the results from the survey to determine the drawbacks of the shared governance model. This is because if the staff members support the shared governance model, they are less likely to note its disadvantages.

How will you assist your team members in understanding the role of shared governance in bringing about policy change?

Communication is very important in ensuring that people accept the proposed changes. People need to be aware of how the changes will affect them, the effect it will have on their positions, and how their responsibilities will change if the change is implemented. Therefore, information and education is paramount in this situation. I will also assist my team by highlighting the benefits that the shared governance model has. Shared governance improves the workers satisfaction and it encourages teamwork. The model changes the way that the workers perform their duties because it gives them more power to make decisions.

The shared governance model is useful in highlighting the roles and responsibilities of different people. It will highlight the necessity of creating some positions. Since the nurses already have managerial power and direct influence in how they perform their work when the model is in use, it is likely that some positions will be overlooked (Bravo & Crow, 2015). However, this depends on how well and how effective the workers will perform their duties. If the work demands are too high and the staff feels overwhelmed, then it is highly likely that there is a need to delegate some of the responsibilities.

The model of shared governance is all about leadership (Herrin, 2004). It has a role in determining the styles of management and leadership that are necessary in an institution. The model encourages decentralized leadership. This means that the staff members have more freedom in making decisions and they can participate in the decision making process. If there is evidence suggesting that the system does not work, then this might mean the possibility of changing the leadership decisions. Shared governance is necessary in determining how the available resources are shared within the institution. The absence of adequate resources means that the nurses will not have as much control as they should and this will influence how they make decisions (Hess, 2004).

The staff members need to be aware of the results of the survey, which indicate less satisfaction and more errors under the current model. This will give them an idea of how crucial it is for the facility to reconsider its present model. Once the team members realize the consequences or drawbacks of the current model, then it is highly likely that they will reconsider the need to restructure and use a different type of model. The increase in errors could endanger the patients’ lives. In addition, a reduction in the patients’ satisfaction levels could be bad for the facility. The facility prides itself on the shared governance model because they consider it effective. However, the results from the survey shows that the patients are not satisfied with the care given and this could taint the facility’s image.

References:

Bravo, F. M., & Crow, G. (2015). Shared governance: The role of buy-in in bringing about change. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 20(2). Retrieved from http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Vol-20-2015/No2-May-2015/Articles-Previous-Topics/Role-of-Buy-In-In-Change.html

Dolan, B. (2013). Accident & emergency, theory into practice, 3. United Kingdom: Elsevier Health Sciences

Herrin, M. D. (2004). Shared governance: A nurse executive response. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 19(1). Retrieved from http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Volume92004/No1Jan04/ANurseExecutiveResponse.html

Hess, G. R. (2004). From bedside to boardroom – nursing shared governance. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 9(1). Retrieved from http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Volume92004/No1Jan04/FromBedsidetoBoardroom.html

Weiss, A. S., & Tappen, M. R. (2014). Essentials of nursing leadership and management. Philadelphia, PA: F.A. Davis