Moral distress is one of the issues that can cause a nurse to experience feelings of powerlessness. In such a situation, the nurse knows the ethically right action to do but feels immobilized to perform the deed (Manoljovich, 2007). An example is when a nurse places a patient on life support for a long time even though ethically it does not benefit the patient. Another instance is when the nurse gives false hopes to patients and their families. If the moral distress is unresolved even after explaining the situation to the head of the emergency department or administrators, it can cause staff turnover. Another issue that can create feelings of powerlessness among the staff is when nurses feel belittled by emergency doctors who are experts in
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These nurses are best placed to handle emergencies in patients they are handling as they are in proximity to them (Manoljovich, 2007). However, any decisions they make that they consider appropriate in a given situation can be changed by hospital administrators and heads of the emergency department. It ends up making them feel powerless. Lastly another issue that can create feelings of powerlessness in nurses in the emergency department is workplace bullying. The nurses may experience aggressive and deliberate bullying from doctors and head nurses. These include the doctors making sarcastic comments about them and insulting them openly in public. Head nurses can at times be so mean as to give the nurses, especially newly employed or student nurses the wrong patient charts. These situations end up draining the professional well-being of the nurses (Gaffney et. al., 2012). Other forms of bullying include doctors blaming them for mistakes of other nurses or punishing them with the most challenging assignments in case they report to senior administrators the doctors' ethical violations. There are times when the nurses' opinions no matter how valid they are, end up rejected by the head nurses. All these issues create feelings of powerlessness among …show more content…
One way in which Nancy being the department nurse manager can help with the empowerment mission is through embracing shared governance model. There has always been a constructive connection between a nurse's insight of collective management and empowerment. Through this, nurses are given control over their practice. The model promotes the nurses independence over their work and ensures they participate in decision making in the department. It enables them to feel empowered and equal to other members of the faculty (Barden et. al., 2011). Nancy can also help empower the nurses using Lazarus and Folkman's transaction model of stress. It identifies strategies for dealing with bullying in the workplace. It uses a problem-focused approach. The method consists of three procedures. The first involves the bullied nurses taking action by getting support. Nancy should afford the nurses the requisite emotional support that will help them with the next stage. The second strategy involves the nurses speaking up on persons responsible for their bullying. It will lead to disciplinary action being taken against the bullies. The third category is moving out of the poisonous surrounding. In case the first two strategies fail, the nurses can be transferred to another department for their professional well-being (Gaffney at. al.,
These nurses are best placed to handle emergencies in patients they are handling as they are in proximity to them (Manoljovich, 2007). However, any decisions they make that they consider appropriate in a given situation can be changed by hospital administrators and heads of the emergency department. It ends up making them feel powerless. Lastly another issue that can create feelings of powerlessness in nurses in the emergency department is workplace bullying. The nurses may experience aggressive and deliberate bullying from doctors and head nurses. These include the doctors making sarcastic comments about them and insulting them openly in public. Head nurses can at times be so mean as to give the nurses, especially newly employed or student nurses the wrong patient charts. These situations end up draining the professional well-being of the nurses (Gaffney et. al., 2012). Other forms of bullying include doctors blaming them for mistakes of other nurses or punishing them with the most challenging assignments in case they report to senior administrators the doctors' ethical violations. There are times when the nurses' opinions no matter how valid they are, end up rejected by the head nurses. All these issues create feelings of powerlessness among …show more content…
One way in which Nancy being the department nurse manager can help with the empowerment mission is through embracing shared governance model. There has always been a constructive connection between a nurse's insight of collective management and empowerment. Through this, nurses are given control over their practice. The model promotes the nurses independence over their work and ensures they participate in decision making in the department. It enables them to feel empowered and equal to other members of the faculty (Barden et. al., 2011). Nancy can also help empower the nurses using Lazarus and Folkman's transaction model of stress. It identifies strategies for dealing with bullying in the workplace. It uses a problem-focused approach. The method consists of three procedures. The first involves the bullied nurses taking action by getting support. Nancy should afford the nurses the requisite emotional support that will help them with the next stage. The second strategy involves the nurses speaking up on persons responsible for their bullying. It will lead to disciplinary action being taken against the bullies. The third category is moving out of the poisonous surrounding. In case the first two strategies fail, the nurses can be transferred to another department for their professional well-being (Gaffney at. al.,