NR 395 Journal Entry1 Ethic, Integrity
NR395 Journal Entry1 Ethic, Integrity
NR395 Journal Entry #1 Form
Directions
1. Review the guidelines and the
... [Show More] grading rubrics for this assignment.
2. Please post questions to the Q & A Forum or contact your instructor.
3. Complete each section. This is not a scholarly paper. You may write in the first person, and you do not need to follow APA format, but you are expected to write in complete sentences and use proper grammar and correct spelling.
4. Use Microsoft Word 2013 (or higher) to complete this assigned form. Save as a .docx document.
5. Submit this journal entry by Sunday, end of Week 2.
Question Your Response
1. Identify a professional nursing-related issue and how you initially experienced this personally in the work environment. One of the most important issues I find in nursing that is most difficult to address is civility and promoting a healthy work environment. I experienced the opposite as a “newcomer” in a recently built urgent care (UC) that had been built 6 months prior. I encountered bullying, incivility, harassment, and hostility, from an x-ray technician, repeatedly over eight years.
2. Describe how the situation unfolded including the key players and their roles (no names used to protect confidentiality). Identify the type of issue reflected in the situation. The original staff that helped to set up the UC had obviously worked hard to establish the unit protocols, job duties, and consequently, “hierarchy” – regardless of job title. They had “done their time” or paid their penance by being farmed out to other UC’s while it was being brought into full-time operation. It was viewed, at the time of my hire, as unfair that I was not going to be sent to other units to learn the ropes. I offered to my management the willingness to travel to other units and gather insight and experience. The manager and regional manager vetoed the idea, as per their explanation to me as well as the staff, that I was already considered senior in my experience, based on ICU/CCU, NICU, ECMO, and administrative experience spanning twenty years and, the open spot on the shift needed to be filled after my six week orientation. One of the original staff, an x-ray technician, verbalized her complaints loudly to existing staff and management claiming favoritism and made it clear, in no uncertain terms, that she could make or break people – “even nurses”. She proclaimed that “all who worked at the unit were equal, had to carry their weight” and therefore, “everyone was a nurse, regardless of education”. Over the course of eight years I fell victim to her scathing incivility, harassment, malicious rumors, bullying, finger-pointing, and threatening behaviors, while attempting to draw her shift-mates into the activities.
3. Describe the conclusion of the situation and whether it was a satisfactory ending. I loved the team I worked with and found them to be supporting and fun – we worked well together, we “clicked”. (This staff member was on the opposite shift). Regardless of how we worked together, the bullying and harassment continued from the technician on the other shift. My teammates and provider were continually defending our team, our work, and me. At one point the manager pulled both shifts into a room to hash everything out and clear the air. The x-ray technician opened the floor by saying that all of the unit’s problems were directly related to me and I was also the reason the unit was experiencing a turnover of nurses and providers, albeit the nurses and providers leaving were actually on her shift. Her finger-pointing and yelling escalated, my team members asked her to stop, telling her she was out of line and accusations were baseless. The manager calmly stopped her, told her she was to maintain a civil and professional tone, explain any instances she concerns about or the meeting would end, and she would have a private meeting with her. Then technician then became upset because no one had anything to add to her verbal lynching of me.
Shortly thereafter I had a meeting with my unit manager and regional manager and explained the concerns I had about harassment and bullying. The situation was not resolved satisfactorily. My manager had let the meeting get out of hand. I stopped the meeting stating I was not to be the target and I had patients to care for. My regional manager admitted to me she had never met a more manipulative person as this technician and because she did not handle it appropriately in the beginning it was too late to do anything about it, she would take the blame. I pleaded with her to bring in HR that perhaps counseling or anger management was needed for the tech. I was told the tech would be given a verbal warning followed by a written warning if her behavior continued.
I anguished over what had happened, questioned, what had I done to deserve this? I was an exemplary teammate, had received glowing evaluations, was an active participant in promoting the urgent care and the organization and established recognition amongst our patients. The damage had been done, my confidence in that management and system, as well as myself, had taken a horrible beating. Not wanting to continue to put my team in “harm’s way” I handed in my request for a transfer to the resource team. My regional manager requested I “give it another two weeks” and she would work things out. She initially declined the request. I told her I could no longer suffer the bullying and felt as though I should go to HR because my emotional wellbeing was in danger. She then agreed to sign off on the request with a deduction in pay. This reinforced my notion that the issue of bullying and harassment would never be addressed. The conclusion was not as I had hoped, I felt powerless.
4. Share what impact the situation continues to have on you. This situation continues to bother me. I had never encountered such disruptive and demoralizing behavior from a “teammate”.
I am a strong person and realize I had no true knowledge of how to handle situations like this, nor how to seek a resolution. Times had changed and harassment was a relatively new (and feared) workplace issue. I have since educated myself on the offerings and avenues that can be taken if such issues arise. I refuse to feel powerless. Annual educational modules on workplace violence, harassment and lateral bullying are required. I have learned communication is the key and when all else fails, professional mediation is available. This experience has made me even more aware of how we must value each other, appreciate the interdisciplinary skills our teams have, nurture our new nurses and how important verbal and non-verbal communication is when dealing with each other and patients. [Show Less]