nursing management
Jessica, a Millennial (Generation Y) nurse working on a medical-surgical unit, recently completed her first year of practice. Ralph, her manager, is pleased with her transition and believes she’s making good progress toward becoming a competent nurse.
During her first evaluation, Jessica tells Ralph she has mastered the role of being a med-surg nurse. She wants to know the next thing she can do in her career to reach her goal of becoming a manager. Ralph is disconcerted by her self-assessment, which he thinks doesn’t accurately reflect where she is as a professional. A Baby Boomer, he advanced up the leadership ladder one rung at a time. He impatiently tells Jessica she hasn’t achieved competency as a staff nurse. He explains that a management position is a long way off and she needs to focus on mastering her current role.
Your Reflection
In your reflection, please draft a paragraph or two based on the prompt below:
Jessica and Ralph each come to you, the nurse manager, with complaints about the interaction.
- As the manager, what are some of the underlying sources of conflict that might be at play?
- What strategies can the nurse manager utilize to resolve the conflict between Jessica and Ralph and ensure a healthy working relationship moving forward?