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.