The nurse manager is concerned that the nursing staff is experiencing

QUESTION

The nurse manager is concerned that the nursing staff is experiencing role stress related to higher acuity of clients. What is one way in which this manager could address this issue?

1. Encourage supportive relationships among the staff nurses.
2. Advocate for longer length of stay for these higher acuity clients.
3. Limit the number of high-acuity clients that can be admitted to the unit.
4. Create a structured management system with no room for individual variance.

ANSWER:

Correct Answer: 1

Factors found to be associated with role stress for nurses include having little control in the job, high demands or overload, and low supportive relationships. Encouraging the staff nurses to be supportive of one another may help to relieve some of the role stress. The nurse manager is not really in a position to determine acuity level of admitted clients or length of stay for those clients once admitted. A structured management system with little room for individual variance takes so much control of the job away from staff nurses, that it might actually increase role strain.