Nursing Leadership in Case of Isaac
As an assistant nurse manager, I am responsible for addressing the problem, mediating the health care environment, understanding bullying dynamics, and intervening in a conflict or any other conflict-related situation if necessary (Lee, Bernstein, Lee, & Nokes, 2014). Furthermore, it is also important to educate employees about the problem of bullying and abuse at an organizational level, and explain Isaac how bullying and other harmful behaviors exhibited by him can influence the quality of care, interactions among staff, negative image of the workplace, and facility’s financial loss (Lee et al., 2014).
Isaac’s problems can be addressed by using emotional intelligence and EI-related strategies as a basis for my intervention. Since work at hospitals and clinics often leads to increased stress due to constant noise, fast-paced work, and thousands of interactions, nurses need to learn how to use various coping strategies. Littlejohn (2012) suggests practicing quality thinking and asking friends about feedback on these reflections or writing down observations about one’s perception of a situation and feelings it triggered.
As simple as it might sound, taking a few deep breaths can also help remain calm; visualizing oneself speaking calmly and slowly is also a technique that helps nurses reduce stress. As a manager, I will need to explain to Isaac why mutual respect and open (not blunt and abusive) communication are essential for fruitful cooperation among nursing staff. It is important to implement evidence-based strategies that consider nursing education and promote civility and respect among employees. It is also important to remember that if bullying and abuse remain unaddressed, new nurses are more apt to reproduce such behaviors in their communication. Therefore, I will also need to investigate whether Isaac copied this behavior from someone else (for example, his former or present supervisor) and if such behavior spreads among other nurses as well.
To improve Isaac’s people skills, I would start with the development of a clear, goal-oriented plan. Together with Isaac, we could outline a plan where he would aim to decrease the number of conflicts he has with other staff members, exclude any abusive phrases or words from his vocabulary, be ready to apologize to coworkers if any of the described goals are not achieved, and he continues to display bullying behavior. Another problem that might be unaddressed is Isaac’s motivation. If he calls other employees “stupid”, he probably perceives himself as superior to them. Therefore, Isaac may be seeking recognition of his achievements. The lack of this recognition can result in disruption between the image he has of himself and the way others perceive him. This disruption can eventually lead to harmful behaviors.
Conflicts at Work: LARA Model
The problem described in the case study is an example of a work-life conflict that can often lead to work stress in nursing professionals and other adverse outcomes such as “low job satisfaction, low psychological wellbeing, burnout and depression” (Munir, Nielsen, Garde, Albertsen, & Carneiro, 2012, p. 514). If these problems are not addressed, in time they can develop into poor work performance, decreased quality of care, and increased intention to leave. As to low psychological wellbeing, it often results in burnout and a greater number of possible medical errors that can lead to severe or even fatal outcomes in patients.
A positive consequence of such a conflict can be an increased motivation of staff if their accomplishments and goals are recognized respectively by the management of the unit. Another possibility is to improve employees’ perception of their place of employment by rearranging work schedules in such a way that employees will get more flexible hours. They will have the opportunity to spend their time with children or relatives, which they miss due to prolonged or regular 12-hour shifts. The negative consequences of such conflict are multiple.
Employees might experience role-overload, i.e. when they have so many tasks assigned they cannot cope with them and spend their free time on work instead of family. Vice versa, families can also interfere with employee’s work, for example when an employee’s child is sick, and the employee has to arrange a sick leave, thus disrupting the schedule discussed and approved by the management team. Burnout and stress can also lead to an increased number of conflicts among employees, especially those with different power statuses.
A model that I can use for this conflict is the LARA model that consists of four stages: listen, affirm, respond, add. Listening to employees’ needs shows them that they are respected and valued. Affirming means acknowledging employees’ emotions about the issue (scheduling) and accepting them. Responding is one of the most vital steps; during it, I can ask employees to discuss scheduling and fix it if possible. Adding information implies that I, as a manager, need to explain how these requests are organized and proceeded and why it is difficult to avoid any issues. During this stage, the manager aims to help employees understand his or her position in this conflict so that they reflect upon and accept it if possible. The LARA model is a good way to address the conflict from a neutral, accepting position.
References
Lee, Y. J., Bernstein, K., Lee, M., & Nokes, K. M. (2014). Bullying in the nursing workplace: Applying evidence using a conceptual framework. Nursing Economics, 32(5), 255- 267.
Littlejohn, P. (2012). The missing link: Using emotional intelligence to reduce workplace stress and workplace violence in our nursing and other health care professions. Journal of Professional Nursing, 28(6), 360-368.
Munir, F., Nielsen, K., Garde, A. H., Albertsen, K., & Carneiro, I. G. (2012). Mediating the effects of work–life conflict between transformational leadership and health‐care workers’ job satisfaction and psychological wellbeing. Journal of Nursing Management, 20(4), 512-521.