Reference no: EM132193200

One day when nurse manager Diane Cowan was in the supermarket, she encountered Ruth Miller, a neighbor and acquaintance and also one of the nurses in Diane’s unit. After a bit of social conversation, Diane asked Ruth, “I know that since you went part-time you’ve been working every other weekend. Eve Bonner, our new weekend charge nurse, came in about the same time you changed. How do you like working with her?” Ruth hesitated a moment, then said, “Quite honestly, Diane—and just between the two of us, outside the hospital—I don’t like working for her at all.” “May I ask why?” “It’s her whole manner and approach,” said Ruth. “She’s curt and snappish, and she doesn’t ask people to do things or even give instructions—she just barks orders. Most of the time she sounds more like an army sergeant than a charge nurse.” Although she realized that it was only a single person’s view, Diane was nevertheless disturbed by this informal report on a weekend charge nurse whom she had appointed. It was true that Eve Bonner appeared no more or less qualified than a number of other nurses on the unit, but Eve had no objections to working weekends and seemed to Diane even to welcome the opportunity. For 3 days each week Eve was simply one of the capable nurses on Diane’s unit. However, Diane had to admit that she knew nothing about how Eve was functioning as weekend charge nurse because she had never seen Eve in action in that capacity. Until her conversation with Ruth, Diane had received no reports about Eve’s performance. Diane decided that although the need to evaluate Eve Bonner as a weekend charge nurse was months away, she had nevertheless better look into the matter of Eve’s performance. Over the course of 2 weeks Diane sought out most of her unit’s weekend workers for individual discussions. In each discussion she was no more pointed in her initial questioning than, “How are you getting along with our new weekend charge?” However, this approach was sufficient. Diane had known most of these people for several years, and, given that opening, the majority of them spoke freely. In the process of her one-on-one meetings Diane learned that several weekend employees were convinced that Eve’s conduct was directly responsible for the resignation of one nurse who cited “personal reasons” for her departure. From her discussions Diane was also able to glean the following comments:

• “During the week when she’s not in charge she’s fine to work with, but on the weekends she’s a terror.”

• “She dictates like a drill sergeant.”

• “She doesn’t do much herself—just tells everybody else what to do.”

• “I think being in charge has gone to her head. She really likes to lord it over everyone.”

All in all, Diane was quite disheartened by all the secondhand information she had acquired about the style of her weekend charge nurse, Eve Bonner.

Question:

How should Diane proceed in addressing the problems of the weekend charge nurse? Outline your steps or options, and supply a complete rationale or justification for each.