Empowerment - Scenario 1

The newly-formed communications committee, formed under the supervision of the Head Nurse, sends a notice of an outside event to the public relations coordinator for the facility. The next day, the PR coordinator calls the Head Nurse and chews her out for promoting events outside the facility. The Head Nurse is caught unaware of the action. She has several choices, including the following.

Among the following choices, which would be the best choice? Select the best answer, and then click Continue.

Call the chair of the committee and yell at him for not keeping her informed of the committee actions.

Call the chair of the committee and find out what happened at the meeting and how the decision came about.

Call a member of the committee and discuss what happened at the meeting.

Tell the public relations coordinator that what happens on your unit is not her business.

Complain to the Vice President of the facility about the interference of the public relations coordinator.

This learning activity was developed by Kate Malliarakis, NP, in collaboration with Partnerships for Training, an Association of Academic Health Centers program funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

This option isn't the best choice because the Head Nurse is reacting angrily without knowing what went on at the meeting. Reacting angrily is negative role modeling for a Head Nurse. Click the Continue button to move on.

Correct; it is usefeful to call the chair of the committee and find out what happened at the meeting and how the decision came about. A good leader needs to assemble the facts before responding - not reacting.Click the Continue button to move on.

This option isn't a good choice because the chair of the committee reports to the Head Nurse; calling someone else strips the committee chair of his power.Click the Continue button to move on.

This option isn't a good choice because the Head Nurse is wrong -- public affairs and other parts of the organization often have to implement the outcome of staff decisions.Click the Continue button to move on.

Incorrect. Complaining to any higher authority is never a good idea; talking with the Vice President to ensure that the Head Nurse knows the scope of her decision-making ability is a better idea.Click the Continue button below to move on.