Barbara Norris: Leading Change in the General Surgery Unit Fall 2010

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Organizational Behavior Case Assignment
Barbara Norris: Leading Change in the General Surgery Unit Fall 2010

1. What are the key issues that Barbara Norris faces at the GSU? Why are they important to the organization?

Barbara faces a bewildering array of obstacles to success in the General Surgery Unit (GSU) at Eastern Massachusetts University Hospital. Based on reputation alone, it was clear that her new unit had serious issues long before she took her position as Nurse Manager of its 33 member nursing staff. Having held an informal, off site meeting with her nurses, she has identified 9 of their chief complaints. These complaints can be mostly categorized under three of the most common stressors: incivility, work overload, and…show more content…
The key issues of lack of collaboration and teamwork, lack of reward for job performance, lack of fairness, and lack of feeling supported are all problems that relate to the diversity of the GSU team. Because it would be difficult if not impossible to change the composition of the team, it is necessary to find ways to reduce or eliminate the feelings of isolation and separation that are clearly present in the GSU. 3. Discuss the roles that emotions, attitudes, and stress are playing in the GSU. Will these factors be difficult to change? Why or why not?

Frustration, hopelessness, despair and overall feelings of under appreciation came out in the feedback that Barbara solicited in the off-site meeting. Emotions play a large part in shaping attitudes, and the emotions and attitudes that the staff at GSU is experiencing contribute to a demoralizing work environment.
It’s clear that some level of cognitive dissonance is occurring at the GSU. In this case, the staff states that the reason they entered the nursing profession was to help people. However, they feel as if they are being asked to perform their duties in such a way that conflict with those beliefs. For example, they are spending less time caring for patients and more time filing paperwork and handling administrative tasks. This dissonance is leading to negative attitudes around the workplace. Additionally, the emotional labor present in a hospital setting, compared to that of an office or factory
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