Case scenario
Nurse manager perspective
ED nurse manager Ms. P is walking out the door at 6:50 p.m. when she remembers that she
hasn’t made the staffing assignments for the next day. She hurries back to her office and
realizes that the permanent charge nurse Ms. B had called out sick earlier. Before selecting
a replacement, she quickly scans the ED physician schedule to see which physician is on
for the early morning shift. It’s Dr. N, an excellent practitioner, but very difficult to work with
because he doesn’t consider the clinical opinion of the ED nurse when selecting a treatment
plan. Ms. B is the only charge nurse from whom Dr. N accepts direction. She’s able to reach
an acceptable solution to any problem that involves Dr. N.
Ms. P looks at the schedule and decides that the direct care nurse Ms. S is the best
choice. She’s also an excellent practitioner who can quickly find a middle ground to a solution
when it involves patient management and patient movement. With a sign of relief, Ms. P
thinks to herself, “Thank goodness I remembered to assign charge. What a disaster if I had
forgotten.” She pauses as she turns out the light to her office and says to herself, “I need to
get back here tomorrow morning to make sure that Ms. S and Dr. N get off to a positive start.”
Direct care nurse perspective