Question

Raymond was one of two male nurses working in an ICU in an inner-city hospital. The nurse manager always put him in charge of the ICU whenever he worked his 12-hour shift. When Raymond was in charge, problems were handled quickly and without drama. His efficient demeanor during a code comforted families, staff nurses, and even the medical interns and residents. Attending physicians requested that Raymond care for their sickest patients as well as their family members. In addition, letters were often written to the hospital about his outstanding care and his attention to details. His exceptional customer service and outstanding patient care made Nordstrom’s customer service department look bad! However, if there was a question that needed an answer, Raymond knew it, and wasn’t shy about letting everyone else around him know it too. His self-assured behavior came across as overconfident and conceited. It didn’t help him win any popularity contests that he was the only master’s-prepared nurse on the unit; most of the nurses didn’t have their bachelor’s degree. He tried to fit in with the other nurses by joking with them or giving the best assignments to the most popular nurses. Raymond didn’t realize it, but the nurses in the most popular group were always putting him down and criticizing him behind his back. During morning rounds with physicians, the other nurses would challenge Raymond and try to embarrass him, or roll their eyes whenever he spoke. Raymond wanted to join the “in gang” so he started to share some personal information with the other nurses about his deteriorating relationship with his wife. She was unable to work due to a chronic medical condition and was becoming increasingly needy with repeated hospitalizations. The other nurses rallied around him pretending to offer support when they were actually scheming to teach him a lesson since he was a “know it all.” One nurse got his personal e-mail while the other nurse planned the prank. A few weeks later Raymond started receiving e-mails from a secret admirer named Terry. Their e-mail relationship lasted several months before he told his coworkers about it. He shared stories with his interested coworkers about the admirer, and told them that he was actually thinking about leaving his wife for her. Later, Raymond found out that not only did the entire staff in the ICU know about this prank, but his e-mail conversations were distributed to the unit’s nursing and support staff.

What are the facts of this case?

What is the nature of the organizational behavior problem?

Which theory or theories do you believe best explain the behavior of Raymond’s coworkers?

As the nurse leader, what interventions would be useful in dealing with workplace bullying?

What types of workplace behaviors define bullying?

Have you ever experienced or observed workplace bullying? Describe what happened and how it was managed.

How does bullying impact the workplace morale? Productivity? Patient care? Can you think of the other effects of bullying in the workplace?

How does the leadership or management team contribute to bullying?

What types of ethical issues are identified in this case study?

What kind of financial impact do you think the behavior of the nurses and their supervisor may have on the hospital?

Provide your reflections and personal opinions as well as your recommendations for addressing this problem.

Answer 1

Facts of this case : Raymond has turned into a Specialist nurse over a period of time with his effort, intent to learn, knowledge sharing, and offering the best customer service. It has become his "habit" to share knowledge and information. But the problem started with his coworkers, feeling inferior because of him and a sense of insecurity developed in the senior nursing staff of the hospital. The unit started playing foul-play against Raymond to project him as egoist, high-necked person wanting to demoralize others.

The nature of the organizational behavior problem is too much dependency on Raymond and no replacement being developed to relieve the additional responsibilities shared with him. There was a need to develop the other nursing staff in order to share responsibilities with Raymond. Second issue is job-rotation. He has got stuck for too long in the night shift. There was a need for rotation in shifts ( all the more important as his wife is unwell) and also using the skill sets of Raymond to develop other nursing staff rather than make him work on day-today issues, time and again.

Such behavior by the coworkers, may be regarded as Counter-productive work behavior. As most of the times, the coworkers are gossiping and making plans to frame Raymond. This act has further reduced the efficiency and productivity of the nursing staff. The staff even has started to chat with the physicians during the morning rounds.

Such type of workplace behaviors as bullying is Counter-productive work behavior. The most effective ways to counter this behavior at workplace is to : - Identify the behavior / cause.

• take corrective action :- may call for small meeting to discuss.
• Influence co-workers - not to indulge in such activities.
• Take the management in confidence to get the matter resolved forever.

With reference to the Fogg Behavior Model - Raymond has "High motivation" as well as "high Ability" for the work that he has been assigned. And he takes pride in sharing with his coworkers whatever he feels of the situation. He get to share the best times with the patients, their families and the physicians. The "jealous factor" with the other members, and the non-intervention of the senior staff has assisted the problem to become big.This has reduced the productivity levels, de-focused the staff from performing their duties, thus resulting in customer dissatisfaction. This would also lead to low moral and motivation, casual approach to work and formation of non responsive groups in the organization.

It is the responsibility of the senior management and staff to immediately identify such issues and bring them to close at the earliest. The delay in this has also given way to the "ethical" issue of investigating the personal life of Raymond and making stories during the working hours hampering the hospitals works.

Such behavior in the hospital can cost very dearly by losing the customer base, good-will and credibility of the hospital. In the long run, this would be an irreparable lose to hospital. This will also loose the "no-nonsense" staff of the hospital, spreading bad word of mouth.