Assignment:
Exercise in Negotiation Analysis
You are one of a group of staff nurses who believe that part of your job dissatisfaction results from being assigned different patients every day. Your unit uses a system of total patient care, and the head nurse makes assignments. Two staff nurses have gone to the head nurse and requested that each nurse be allowed to pick his or her own patients based on the previous day’s assignment and the ability of the nurse. The head nurse believes that the staff nurses are being uncooperative because it is the head nurse’s responsibility to see that all the patients get assigned and receive adequate care. Although continuity of care is the goal, many part-time nurses are used on the unit, and not all the nurses are able to care for every type of patient. At the end of the conference, the two nurses are angry, and the head nurse is irritated. However, the next day, the head nurse indicates willingness to meet with the staff nurses. The other nurses believe this is a sign that the head nurse is willing to negotiate a compromise. They plan to get together tonight to plan the strategy for tomorrow’s meeting.
Question : What are the goals for each party? What could be a possible hidden agenda for each party? What could happen if the conflict escalates? Devise a workable plan that would accomplish the goals of both parties, and develop strategies for implementation (see the Appendix for an analysis of these problems).
Your answer must be typed, double-spaced, Times New Roman font (size 12), one-inch margins on all sides, APA format and also include references.