Question

You are the nurse manager for a surgical unit in a small suburban hospital. The census on the unit is low and frequently your nurses have to float to the medical unit for their shifts. Recently, the house supervisor has been floating the nurses from your unit to the cardiac step down unit due to staff shortages on this unit. The nurses on your unit have come to you because they are uncomfortable with floating to this unit and they say it is not safe for patients since they are not trained to work in a step down unit. You approach the house supervisor regarding the issue and she says, "The unit is short and I have to put your nurses there to cover the open shifts”. Do you believe this presents as an ethical conflict? Describe the steps you would take to address the complaints by the staff nurses on your unit.

Answer 1

The nursing profession is a very Nobel profession where a nurse is determined to take a good care of her patients and to nurture the life that she receives in her hand. A nurse is considered to be an all rounder hence she is expected to fulfill all the criteria's of all the departments. But, being a nurse we usually don't agree with this situation. We know and understand that we should be committed to give care and protect the patients that we receive and that throughout out learning period we are taught about all the cares and procedures to be performed in the healthcare setting.

But once we enter the setting we are more comfortable in the area where we think we are belonged to and choose to be in that area. Once we are used to with it we tend to adapt the situations faced in that particular area. We will feel uncomfortable when handling the patients of other areas and departments. We feel like we have less knowledge and skill regarding that particular cases and procedures hence we are given a right to remain in the area where we feel comfortable with and this is better for the nurses as well as the patients who are getting the care.

Yes, in my opinion this situation presents an ethical conflict and should be resolved with a sense of understanding and respect. Although there are shortages of the nurses in the healthcare setting but it is unethical for the incharge to float the nurses from one department to the other and especially when they have a complain of feeling uncomfortable to handle the patients of such conditions. When the nurses are not confident in themselves it is a very unwise decision to be made. Also the nurses have a right to stay in a particular ward which they are assigned to while being recruited.

The steps that I would take inorder to address the complaints by the staff nurses on my unit are:

1. First of all I would make sure if the complaints are genuine.

2. Then I would listen to all the complaints that they have and the problems they are facing in detail.

3. After that I will check if the problems that they are facing really needs to be solved or to be informed to the authorities.

4. Once I am convinced I will try to take the written complaints of all the staff members.

5. Then I would go and discuss about the problems which is collectively faced by all the staffs to the house supervisor.

6. Then I will try to make her understand about the difficulties being faced by the staff members.

7. Then I will show her the risk that they may fall into if continued with this situation.

8. If the house supervisor does not want to listen to my complaints then I will take it to the higher authorities because this is an ethical conflict which is being faced by the staff of the particular health care system and needs to be solved.

9. The nurse's rights should be considered and should be respected.