Wednesday, April 14, 2010

April 12, 2010 Class Discussion

Terminating an employee is never a pleasant thing to do. In order to make the best of a bad situation the employer should be prepared.

1. Arrange for a private meeting with the employee who is being terminated.

2. Calmly state the reason for dismissal without giving the employee hope for negotiation and be prepared to give examples of the behavior the employee is being terminated for.

3. Explain the termination process and the exact date the termination will take place.

4. Allow the employee time for his/her input without being wavered.

5. End on a positive note. If possible allow the employee to leave the company immediately to avoid embarrassment and demoralization of the other employee's.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

April 5 class discussion

When I receive health care the thing I consider to be quality care are being seen in a timly manner or at least being informed about the extra long wait. A physician who listens and address all of my concerns even the dumb ones. I consider a physician a good physician when he/she knows when to refere me to someone else more qualified to address a particular problem that he/she may not be as well trained in, know it all's do not usually know it all and make mistakes. I also appreciated when one of my childrens physicians said I do not know let me go look it up and returned to the room with the book and information in hand. I have not been in the hospital for anything but having my children years ago, but the care I would expect there should be the same care I provide to my patients.

As a profesional I believe quality care should include respect, promptness, knowledge, knowledge of limitations, how to find out what is not known, attention to details; even the small ones like trash on the floor, patients, kindness, good listening and assessment skills, and the ability to work as a team memeber.

The two are similar we should not expect more than we are willing to give nor should we give less than we want to receive.
March 29 class discussion

I had to think hard to come up with a conflict I was involved in at work because I have not really been part of a big conflict. After pondering for a long time I did remember a conflict I was part of by default.

At the time we did not have specific charge nurses at night the house supervisor would decided who would be put on call and anybody willing would make the patient assignments. I happen to be one of the most experienced nurses working one night so by default I was elected to make the assignments. I evaluated which nurses were coming on and compared them to the patient load and acuity. An LPN was scheduled so I made sure to assign her patients that did not have IV medications. When the day nurses arrived and received their assignments one of the nurses switched her assigned patients with the LPN's patients because she did not want the patients she was assigned. When I explained to her why I had assigned the LPN her patients her response was that is okay I would rather give all of her IV meds for her than have the patients you assigned me. Not really being in charge or having any authority I let it go.

Later I learned that this particular nurse among others often change their assignments around.

If I was the nurse manager I would take time in a staff meeting to explain how assignments are decided upon and that they are not just random. I would make it clear that the nurses are expected to take the assignment they are given unless their is a clear conflict involved. Not wanting to change briefs is not a reason for decling assignments. If the problem continued amoung the few repeat offenders I would make an appointment with them to discusse the problem in private.