Ms. C, RN, receives report on her patients from the charge nurse Ms. S and notices that her
assignment is disproportionate to her peer Ms. J. Her assignment is heavy, including seven
patients, two of whom are unstable. The acuity and number of patients exceed the ED guidelines.
She isn’t comfortable that it’s safe; however, she isn’t surprised to learn that Ms. J’s
assignment is light because Ms. J has the reputation of always getting her way. Her five patients
are stable and being readied for discharge. Normally, Ms. C would accept her assignment
to accommodate the needs of the unit, but she’s tired from working a double shift the
day before. When she approaches the charge nurse Ms. S to modify her assignment, she’s
told that the assignment is what it is and that Ms. S wants to avoid any drama with Ms. J
because, “You know how she is.” As Ms. C turns to leave, she sees the nurse manager Ms. P
and decides to tell her about her unfair assignment.
How does nurse manager Ms. P react to this situation? How does she deal with the
charge nurse and Ms. C’s perception that her assignment is unreasonable? How does she
manage this conflict?