Question

In: Nursing

Sara Lang is a charge nurse at Sunny Nursing Home and has worked under the same...

Sara Lang is a charge nurse at Sunny Nursing Home and has worked under the same president, Lisa Davis, for five years. In fact, the two have become good friends. They frequently socialize after hours. Rick Walters, Director of Nursing, is a capable person who has been working there for three years. Four nurses (Anna, Barbara, Charles, and Dan) report directly to Sara.

Anna, one of the nurses, was having personal difficulties. She asked Sara if she could change her work schedule from the usual 8-hour shift of 4 days with 3 consecutive days off to 16-hour shifts for two days and 5 consecutive days off. Sara thought that was not a problem and told Anna that she would enter that information into the computerized scheduling system, and that she would tell Lisa Davis of the change, since they were getting together for a drink after work.

Barbara overheard the conversation between Sara and Anna, and she immediately went to see Rick Walters and complained that Anna was getting preferential treatment and she wanted the same schedule. Rick, who always wanted to make sure that the nursing staff were happy and got along, approved Barbara’s change in schedule. He made this change through the computerized schedule and did not tell anyone else. Barbara, who is good friends with Charles, told him of her new schedule. Charles, who works closely with Chief of Staff, Dr. Goodman, told Dr. Goodman of the change in Barbara’s schedule and asked Dr. Goodman to change his. Dr. Goodman thought it was a good idea and e-mailed Charles’ new schedule to his assistant, Susan Stevens, to enter it into the scheduling system.

On the next Monday morning, changes were implemented to Anna’s, Barbara’s, and Charles’ schedules. Yet, no one had discussed these changes with anyone else. When the schedule was printed out and posted, it showed that Anna, Barbara, and Charles were all off for 5 days that week from Monday to Friday and all three began work on Saturday. In the meantime, the only nurse left working was Dan.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are the different forms of communication flow taking place?
  2. What changes should have been implemented?
  3. What should be done now?

Solutions

Expert Solution

The communication between Anna and Sara is upward flow communication.Here a nurse(lower designation) is requesting for a schedule change to her supervisor (higher designation)

Similarly Sara about to report to Lisa is also an upward communication

Barbara repoeting to Rick Walter is also an upward flow communication. The draw back here is lack of downward communication flow from Director of Nursing to either President Lisa or charge nurse Sara

Barbara communication with Charles is horizontal communication flow because both are in the same level of nurse

After this Barbara made an upwards communication with Dr.Goodman and changed his shift.From Goodman to Stevens it is a dowward flow.

Aproper communication flow has to be established concentrating on upward , downward ,diagnol communication flow.

The changes which has to be implemented are change of duty for Barbara who wanted schedule change by overhearing a conversation and Charles because his colleague had a change.

The following things can be done now

  • Proper communication channel or flow has to be framed
  • All superior making duty rooster assessing the number of staff on duty and on leave

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