A newly hired charge nurse assesses the staff nurses as competent individually but ineffective and unproductive as a team. In addressing her concern, the charge nurse should understand that the usual reason for such a situation is:
A. Unhappiness about the charge in leadership.
B. Unexpected feelings and emotions among the staff.
C. Fatigue from overwork and understaffing.
D. Failure to incorporate staff in decision making.
Correct Answer: B. Unexpected feelings and emotions among the staff.
The usual or most prevalent reason for lack of productivity in a group of competent nurses is inadequate communication or a situation in which the nurses have unexpected feelings and emotions. Although the other options could be contributing to the problematic situation, they’re less likely to be the cause.
Option A: Providing employees with acknowledgment of the good work that they have done is one of the easiest management tasks. However, it is also as easily neglected. For instance, a study in the financial sector shows that only 20% of employees feel strongly valued at work.
Option C: Another big issue that causes low productivity is workplace stress. A study by Health Advocate shows that there are about one million employees who are suffering from low productivity due to stress, which costs companies $600 dollars per worker every single year.
Option D: An important reason for low employee productivity might be the fact that they do not feel that they belong with the company that they are part of. It is important for every manager to make sure that the environment in their business is welcoming to new hires and does not make them feel underappreciated.