A nurse on the oncology unit is distraught because a patient died alone while the nurse was charting and believes that the demands of documentation are excessive and harm patient care. What action by the unit manager would be most helpful?

Question

a. Ask the nurse about a job transfer.
b. Encourage the nurse to delegate more.
c. Hold a debriefing on the situation.
d. Refer the nurse to Employee Assistance.

Answer 1

C
This nurse is suffering from role discrepancy in which his or her conception of a role is incompatible with the actual obligations of the role. A helpful strategy for this situation is a debriefing, which involves reviewing the events of a particular situation with a colleague or group of colleagues. This can allow for the articulation of the role expectations that came into conflict in a given situation. Often, role expectations are taken for granted, and simply verbalizing these thoughts allows the concerned nurse to move forward in understanding the source of his or her stress. Additionally, colleagues who are present during a debriefing session can validate the concerned nurse's views and share similar experiences and expectations. Asking about a job transfer is not likely to be helpful because role discrepancy can occur in any setting. Delegation may or may not have been needed in this situation, but the nurse cannot delegate charting. The nurse may need a referral to Employee Assistance but not as the first step.