NURS 6221 Discussion 3: The Unionization of Employees

NURS 6221: MANAGING HUMAN RESOURCES – Discussion 3

NURS 6221 Discussion 3: The Unionization of Employees

Discussion 3: The Unionization of Employees

If there is no struggle, there is no progress—Frederick Douglass

Since their initial rise in the post-Civil War era, unions across the United States have called public attention to unfair labor practices, wage disparities, and inadequate benefits. Union leaders and nurse managers are learning to approach the unionization of employees as a partnership. Union leaders have taken strides to negotiate with managers in quick and efficient “good faith” dealings, while nurse managers enter negotiations with open minds and the intent to reach an agreement. To benefit future generations of nursing professionals, nurse managers must understand how to effectively respond to unionization attempts and how to partner with union leaders.

To prepare FOR Discussion 3: The Unionization of Employees

Review the article “Making a Union/Management Partnership Really Work” in this week’s Learning Resources. Consider how the union and district health board portrayed in this article worked together to create the joint action group. Think about the positive outcomes of this endeavor. How might nurse managers work with health care unions to solicit such a partnership?

Examine the article “Unions in the Healthcare Industry,” taking note of the timeline of unionized activities such as the collective bargaining process, the campaign period, and the outcomes of unionization. How do the legal landscape and social environment of a health care setting change once workers engage in unionized activities?

Review the media pieces, “The Saga of TrulyGood Hospital” and “The Saga of Beneficent Hospital.”

• Reflect upon the situations presented in each media case study, and select one for your Discussion posting.
• Consider why the staff might be seeking union representation. As a nurse manager, consider the steps you might take to address the situation before, during, and after the time period depicted in the case study.

LOOKING FOR NURSING ESSAY HELP? GET A NURSING CUSTOM ESSAY

Note: Before you submit your initial post, replace the subject line (“Week 3 Discussion”) with the name of the case study you selected. (So, Give me the name of the case)

Post a description of at least one reason the nursing staff in the case you selected might decide to unionize. Explain three steps you, as a nurse manager, could take to effectively respond to unionization attempts. Then, discuss HR’s role in helping to legally address labor relations and unionization attempts. Justify your response by citing past experiences with unions, union organizing activities, current labor policies, and/or this week’s Learning Resources.

Respond to at least two of your colleagues on two different days using the following approach:

Review the steps described by a colleague for effectively responding to unionization attempts. If a vote determines that the staff will be represented by a labor union, explain strategies your colleague might employ to establish a good working management/labor partnership with the union.

Required Readings FOR Discussion 3: The Unionization of Employees

Lussier, R. N., & Hendon, J. R. (2016). Human resource management: Functions, applications, & skill development (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

Chapter 10, “Employee and Labor Relations” (pp. 356–397)

This chapter introduces the concept and legal landscape of labor relations. It highlights the importance of communication and trust, along with labor relations’ influence on job satisfaction and workplace conflict.

Brooke, P. S. (2011). Legally speaking … When can staff say no? Nursing Management, 42(1), 40–44.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

The author of this article discusses an overarching problem many nurses experience on a daily basis: their inability to say ‘no’ to fulfilling tasks and responsibilities outside of the nursing role. The author highlights situations that can have legal ramifications, including overtime, taking on assignments outside of a nurse’s practice scope and skill level, provision of alternative care therapies, and inappropriate delegations.

Matthews, J. (2010). When does delegating make you a supervisor? Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 15(2), 3.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

This article reviews the impact on registered nurses of the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). In addition, it explores the exclusions of nurse managers during collective bargaining contracts and union organization.

Neil, A., & Robinson, J. (2011). Making a union/management partnership really work. Nursing New Zealand, 17(11), 32–33.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

This article portrays an authentic example of how the Bay of Plenty District Health Board worked with the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) union to increase the engagement of nurses while also improving the patient journey. By creating the joint action group (JAG), these leaders were able to reach their stated goals and to develop an effective plan for achieving future ideals.

Porter, C. (2010). A nursing labor management partnership model. Journal of Nursing Administration, 40(6), 272–276.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

This article describes a partnership between clinical nurses and nursing management that was successfully implemented in a prominent teaching hospital.

Sanders, L. G., & McCutcheon, A. W. (2010). Unions in the healthcare industry. Labor Law Journal, 61(3), 142–151.

Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.

This article discusses the impact and importance of nursing unions in clinical settings. With a focus on Boston Medical Center Corp, the authors outline the many factors that affect labor unions in the health care industry.

Document: Labor Relations: Case Studies (Word document)

You will use the case studies presented in this document for this week’s Discussion.

Required Media FOR Discussion 3: The Unionization of Employees

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2012). The saga of TrulyGood Hospital. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 2 minutes.

Joan, a nurse manager at TrulyGood Hospital, is having a hectic month. Select this media case study to explore why in this week’s Discussion. (Media in the attachment)

Accessible player

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2012). The saga of Beneficent Hospital. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 2 minutes.

Tom, the CEO of Beneficent Hospital, begins to notice discontent among his staff. Select this media case study to explore why in this week’s Discussion. (Media in the attachment)

Accessible player

Optional Resources FOR Discussion 3: The Unionization of Employees

National Labor Relations Board. (n.d.). Employee rights notice posting. Retrieved September 21, 2012 from http://www.nlrb.gov/poster

National Labor Relations Board. (n.d.). Retrieved September 21, 2012 from https://www.nlrb.gov/

MSN Discussion Rubric FOR Discussion 3: The Unionization of Employees

Criteria	Levels of Achievement
	Outstanding Performance	Excellent Performance	Competent Performance	Room for Improvement	Poor Performance
Content-Main Posting	30 to 30 points -Main posting addresses all criteria with 75% of post exceptional depth and breadth supported by credible references.	27 to 29 points -Main posting addresses all criteria with 75% of post exceptional depth and breadth supported by credible references.	24 to 26 points Main posting meets expectations. All criteria are addressed with 50% containing good breadth and depth.	21 to 23 points Main posting addresses most of the criteria. One to two criterion are not addressed or superficially addressed.	0 to 20 points Main posting does not address all of criteria, superficially addresses criteria. Two or more criteria are not addressed.
Course Requirements and Attendance	20 to 20 points -Responds to two colleagues’ with posts that are reflective, are justified with credible sources, and ask questions that extend the Discussion.	18 to 19 points -Responds to two colleagues’ with posts that are reflective, are justified with credible sources, and ask questions that extend the Discussion.	16 to 17 points Responds to a minimum of two colleagues’ posts, are reflective, and ask questions that extend the Discussion. One post is justified by a credible source.	14 to 15 points Responds to less than two colleagues’ posts. Posts are on topic, may have some depth, or questions. May extend the Discussion. No credible sources are cited.	0 to 13 points Responds to less than two colleagues’ posts. Posts may not be on topic, lack depth, do not pose questions that extend the Discussion.
Scholarly Writing Quality	30 to 30 points -The main posting clearly addresses the Discussion criteria and is written concisely. The main posting is cited with more than two credible references that adhere to the correct format per the APA Manual 6th Edition. No spelling or grammatical errors. ***The use of scholarly sources or real life experiences needs to be included to deepen the Discussion and earn points in reply to fellow students.	27 to 29 points -The main posting clearly addresses the Discussion criteria and is written concisely. The main posting is cited with more than two credible references that adhere to the correct format per the APA Manual 6th Edition. No spelling or grammatical errors.	24 to 26 points -The main posting clearly addresses the Discussion criteria and is written concisely. The main posting is cited with a minimum of two current credible references that adhere to the correct format per the APA Manual 6th Edition. Contains one to two spelling or grammatical errors.	21 to 23 points -The main posting is not clearly addressing the Discussion criteria and is not written concisely. The main posting is cited with less than two credible references that may lack credibility and/or do not adhere to the correct format per the APA Manual 6th Edition. Contains more than two spelling or grammatical errors.	0 to 20 points -The main posting is disorganized and has one reference that may lack credibility and does not adhere to the correct format per the APA Manual 6th Edition or has zero credible references. Contains more than two spelling or grammatical errors.
Professional  Effectiveness	20 to 20 points – is professional and respectful to colleagues and response to faculty questions are answered if posed. -Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas effectively written in Standard Edited English. -Responses posted in the Discussion demonstrate effective professional communication through deep reflective discussion which leads to an exchange of ideas and focus on the weekly Discussion topic.	18 to 19 points – is professional and respectful to colleagues. -Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas effectively written in Standard Edited English. -Responses posted in the Discussion demonstrate effective professional communication through deep reflective discussion which leads to an exchange of ideas and focus on the weekly Discussion topic. -Responses are cited with at least one credible reference per post and a probing question that extends the Discussion. Adheres to the correct format per the APA Manual 6th Edition. No spelling or grammatical errors.	16 to 17 points – is professional and respectful to colleagues. -Provides clear, concise opinions and ideas effectively written in Standard Edited English. -Responses posted in the Discussion demonstrate effective professional communication through deep reflective discussion which leads to an exchange of ideas and focus on the weekly Discussion topic. -Responses are cited with at least one credible and/or contain probing questions that extends the Discussion. Adheres to the correct format per the APA Manual 6th Edition. May have one to two spelling or grammatical errors.	14 to 15 points – is professional and respectful to colleagues. -Provides opinions that may not be concise or ideas not effectively written in Standard Edited English. -Responses posted in the Discussion may lack effective professional communication that does not extend the Discussion, leads to an exchange of ideas and/or not focused on the weekly Discussion topic. -Responses are not cited and/or do not contain a probing question. May not adhere to the correct format per the APA Manual 6th Edition. May have more than two spelling or grammatical errors.	0 to 13 points – may lack professional tone or be disrespectful to colleagues. -Provides opinions that may not be concise or ideas not effectively written in Standard Edited English -Responses posted in the Discussion lack effective professional communication through discussion that does not extend the Discussion, do not lead to an exchange of ideas and/or not focused on the weekly Discussion topic. -Responses are not cited and do not contain a probing question. May not adhere to the correct format per the APA Manual 6th Edition. May have multiple spelling or grammatical errors.
Timely Submission	0 to 0 points All criteria met: Initial post submitted on time. Response to two peer initial posts. Response on 3 separate days.	-5 to 0 points 5 points deducted for responding to less than two peers or 5 points deducted for responding less than three days.	-10 to -5 points 5 points deducted for responding to less than two peers and 5 points deducted for responding less than three days.	-10 to -10 points 10 points deducted for Initial post submitted late.	-20 to -15 points Initial post submitted late and 5 points deducted for responding to less than two peers and/ or 5 points deducted for responding less than three days.