You are the manager of an acute medical unit. When you arrive for the day, you discover that one of the senior RNs has called in sick, leaving one brand new RN and a combination of experienced and new RPNs working on the floor. There is also one PSW working on the unit. There are two patients who have just been transferred down from the ICU and another patient is quickly decompensating.
Questions to answer
1. Pick one of the five approaches to staffing as listed in the textbook. Describe how this strategy could be used to prevent future staffing shortages on this unit?
Nurse to patient ratios
2. In which ways can you demonstrate leadership to assist the newer nurses to manage their increased workload?
3.How can delegation be used to your advantage? What tasks can be delegated to the unregulated healthcare worker?