The primary care physician's office employs five nurses and two unlicensed assistive personnel. One nurse has the role of manager. One member of the staff is the best friend of the nurse manager

Question

The other nurses and office staff think there is favoritism and unfair division of workload because of this relationship. Evaluate this situation, and then choose the most appropriate action needed when the nurse manager overhears the staff's comments.

1. The primary care provider should make a decision about how best to minimize the perception of favoritism.
2. The nurse manager should discuss the issue with her friend and decide how to
minimize the perception of favoritism.
3. The nurse manager should meet to discuss the staff's concerns and then ask for
input to promote a more equitable distribution of the workload.
4. The nurse manager should ignore her friend at work to reduce the appearance of
favoritism.

Answer 1

Answer: 3

Rationale: Upon hearing of the staff's perception, the nurse manager should openly discuss it with the staff members to facilitate open, honest communication. Inviting staff to contribute to the solution fosters respect and intentionality towards a team effort. The primary care provider should not be involved in a nursing decision. It will not help decrease the perception of favoritism if the nurse manager and her friend make the decision. The nurse manager needs to take the initiative to discuss it with the staff before the staff have opportunity or need to confront the issue. Ignoring the problem will do little to reduce the tensions that are resulting in the office environment.