Question

Research labor relations and common labor union issues for the nursing staff in an acute care organization and cover the following

What are the common labor union issues for nursing staff in an acute care organization? (You may select another setting of interest to you.) Explain at least five such issues.

How can these issues be addressed by HRM?

How do these issues impact contract negotiations and organizational performance?

What challenges do you foresee related to labor union issues for nursing staff in an acute care organization?

Answer 1

The common labour union issues for nursing staff in an acute care organizations are:
• Compensation
• Workplace violence
• Staff shortage
• Long working hours
• Workplace hazards
Compensation: There is a regional differences in pay among the nurses and also there is a difference in the pay scale among genders.
Workplace violence: The nurses experience violence either from the patients or co-workers. Some of the workplace violence are slips, trips, falls when handling the patient and movement of the patients.
Staff shortage: It affects both the organizations and personal. Many of the nurses leave the job due to this reason. When the staff are inadequate the nurses become unhappy which causes a threat to the patient health and safety. It also causes impact on the nurses health and safety due to increased fatigue and rate of injury. Thinks also causes wrong drug administration, delayed nursing care and increased length of stay of the patients.
Long working hours: Many of the nurses are required to work for longer shifts. This increases fatigue which will cause medical mistakes. The problems that the nurses face are loss of sleep, fatigue, daytime sleepiness, negative cognitive behavioural.
Workplace hazards: Some of the workplace hazards the nurses face are exposure to blood borne pathogens, injuries to their back, hands, shoulders and feet, hand washing dermatitis, cold and flu.