A unit manager of a 25-bed medical/surgical area receives a phone call from a nurse who has called in sick five times in the past month.He tells the manager that he very much wants to come to work when scheduled but must often care for his wife,who is undergoing treatment for breast cancer.In practice of a strengths-based nursing leader,what would be the best approach to satisfying the needs of this nurse,other staff,and patients?
A) Line up agency nurses who can be called in to work on short notice.
B) Place the nurse on unpaid leave for the remainder of his wife's treatment.
C) Sympathize with the nurse's dilemma and let the charge nurse know that this nurse may be calling in frequently in the future.
D) Work with the nurse, staffing office, and other nurses to arrange his scheduled days off around his wife's treatments.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Placing the nurse on unpaid leave may threaten physiologic needs and demotivate the nurse.Unsatisfactory coverage of shifts on short notice could affect patient care and threaten staff members' sense of competence.Strengths-based nurse leaders honour the uniqueness of individuals,teams,systems,and organizations; therefore,arranging the schedule around the wife's needs would result in a win-win situation,also creating a work environment that promotes the nurses' health and facilitates their development.

A Unit Manager of a 25-Bed Medical/surgical Area Receives a Phone