Managing Nurses' Methods of Dealing with Problematic Personnel

Abstract

Aim: The study was carried out to identify how manager nurses deal with the concept of problematic personnel, their views on the problems they experience with their subordinate employees, and what they experience in the process of coping with this staff. Method: The research was conducted in descriptive and exploratory research design using qualitative research method. The population of the study consisted of executive nurses working in a public university hospital in Istanbul, a training and research hospital affiliated with the Ministry of Health, and a private hospital. The sample consists of 25 nurse managers who are willing to participate in the study. The research data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a semi-structured interview form. The data were analyzed with content analysis using the MAXQDA software. Results: The manager nurses participating in the study defined those who were dissenter, dissatisfied, and had communication problems as problematic personnel. It was determined that while dealing with problematic staff, participants prefer listening and solving the problem, taking criminal action, attending a training, seeking advice from counselors, role-modeling. It was observed that manager nurses were affected by this process, experienced psychological and physical discomfort, sometimes showed avoidance behavior, and sometimes accepted and had to get psychological support. Conclusion: It was found that manager nurses mostly had problems with the problematic personnel in terms of being contrary and dissatisfied. It was determined that they used the method of listening and finding appropriate solutions to the problems they encountered and they were generally affected psychologically by this process.

Keywords

• management in nursing
• organizational conflict
• troubled staff
• qualitative research