A Nurse Manager's To Do List

A Nurse Manager’s To Do List

The nurse manager presented in the scenario is above all, a nurse who belongs to the group of “professional nurses that experience situations each day in which they must lead, manage, and follow” (Yoder-Wise, 2014, p. 6). The manager as she walks in to her unit, is aware of the fact that “care routines must be managed” (Yoder-Wise, 2014, p. 5). In prioritizing her decisions, the nurse manager would need to sort out which problem or issue has the high urgency and importance. Therefore, “a problem with high urgency and importance rankings should be dealt with first” (NDC, 2007, p. 12). Of the five issues she is faced with, the number one priority to address would be the staffing issue related to the RN who called in. As in any staffing problem, the nurse manager needs to consider not only the patient quality care and

safety but also the need of her staff.

Without much consideration of the situation at hand, the easy way out would be to call the staffing office for an additional nurse to fill in the deficit. However, as cited in NDC (2007) nurse managers “must balance the needs of followers for growth with the needs of the organization for productivity. They look at what needs to be done and what is right for the organization, then develop plans, establish standards, and take coordinated action” (” (p. 5). Therefore, the best approach the manager would take would be: (1) take note of the day’s census, the nurse-patient ratio, anticipated discharges, and the number of available beds for possible admissions. It is only when all the information are made available that the nurse manager would be able to take appropriate action and decide whether another nurse is needed or to distribute the patients to the other nurses. Whatever decision the manager would make, it is critical that he/she keeps in mind that

patient and staff safety is not compromised.

The nurse manager’s second item on the to-do-list would be the new nurse’s need for assistance to perform an unfamiliar procedure. Once again, the issue at hand is patient care. Knowing the strengths and capabilities of her staff, the manager can request, delegate, and assign a senior nurse to be a “buddy” with the new nurse. The nurse manager would take mental note to follow-up the learning experience of the new nurse later during the shift. In assigning the doctor’s demand to discuss an issue that happened during the weekend as her third priority, the nurse manager considered the common question of ‘Who is asking’? As cited by Shirey, Ebright, and McDaniels, (2013)

When dealing with difficult situations not involving life or death implications, nurse managers prioritized their work based on who was asking. If a high-ranking organizational official… asked for a report or involvement in an initiative, nurse managers gave these requests expedited priority and generally fulfilled these demands first (p. 17).

However, it would be best for the nurse manager to get details on what occurred over the weekend. To have the information of the event would enable the nurse manager to engage in a two-way communication and discussion with the doctor. The fourth on her list would be the product representative’s request to discuss the new IV equipment. Prior to responding to the email, the nurse manager would need to know if the product has been approved and cleared by the Value Analysis Committee. The organization’s policy on product review would come handy for the manager to decide if it is appropriate to meet with the product representative.