Barbara Norris: Leading Change in the General Surgery Unit

Barbara Norris: Leading Change in the General Surgery Unit

Barbara, as you are aware, we have some problems within the Department of General Surgery Unit (GSU). We are already enduring a financial crisis (as the young people say we are Chihuan) and you smile, well, now sit down and read what I have prepared for you according to the report you sent me.

The problems we now face could become more serious, and affect the prestige we have gained.

Barbara, you are a respected and successful EMU nurse, you have just assumed the Nursing Management. You accepted this voluntarily, and you knew how things were around here. Both you and the directory hope that all this can be improved.

Barbara has a series of problems that affect the overall productivity and satisfaction of nurses.

According to what I understood the most significant problems within the GSU unit are the lack of communication, teamwork and inadequate staff. The change is necessary. I detail some changes that must be made:

Hiring and increase of nurses. The current team is too small to care for all patients in the hospital adequately; This forces the nurses to make decisions that negatively impact on the type of care patients receive.

The lack of effective communication. We must establish comfort, acceptance, and camaraderie within the unit. The nurses feel that they are not part of the team. We must correct this, and they should feel comfortable enough to express their complaints and suggestions

Barbara, you can improve unity.

It seems to me that you must first address the personnel problems.

With this, you will be able to provide the nurses with immediate support through the relief of stress caused by overwork.

About communication, everyone feels that their complaints are not heard. The nurses with less time think that they are being treated as novices, on the other hand, the more experienced nurses feel that they are not being compensated as much as they should and that they are doing minor tasks.

Nurses feel overworked due to mandatory budget cuts and the inability to work overtime; "Extra time can no longer be offered due to additional cost reduction measures."

Further widening the problems, the moral is remarkably low.

Considering these situations, GSU has a great need for the support of a strong leader.

Maybe you think that this is more difficult than what you had perceived.

I know you, and I know your motivation and dedication to your work despite difficult circumstances.

As you know, there are steps to be an effective leader.