Problem Employees

Question 1

What is the managers role?

Answer 1

• distinguish between employees who need progressive discipline and those who are chemically impaired, psychologically impaired or marginal employees
• decide the issue so it can be solved effectively
• Not disciplining an employee who should be disciplined jeopardizes an organizations role

Question 2

What is discipline? (2)

Answer 2

Involves training or molding the mind or character to bring about desired behaviors

Is often considered a form of punishment but is not quite the same thing as punishment

Question 3

What is punishment?

Answer 3

An undesirable event that follows unacceptable behavior, which may have negative consequences but can be a powerful motivator for change

Question 4

What is constructive discipline? (3)

Answer 4

• helps the employee to grow
• is carried out in a supportive, corrective manner
• Employee is reassured that punishment is given because of actions and not because of who he or she is as a person

Question 5

What is the primary focus of constructive discipline?

Answer 5

Assist employees to be self directed in meeting organizational goals

Question 6

What is destructive discipline? (3)

Answer 6

• Use of threats and fear to control behavior
• Employee always alert to impending penalty or termination
• arbitrarily administered and either unfair in the application of rules or in the resulting punishment

Question 7

What is the goal of destructive discipline?

Answer 7

To encourage workers ti be self disciplinary

Question 8

What is the highest and most effective mode of discipline?

Answer 8

Self discipline

Question 9

Fill in the blank:

_________ is only possible if subordinates know the rules and accept them as valid.

Answer 9

Self-discipline

Question 10

What is McGregor’s hot stove rule? (4)

Answer 10

The four things that have to be present to make discipline as fair as possible

Question 11

what is number one on McGregor’s Rule?

Answer 11

1. Forewarning:
   - if you break a rule you will be disciplined
   - you know you will be burned if you touch a stove
   - ex. tardiness

Question 12

What is number 2 on mcGregors rule?

Answer 12

2. Immediate consequences
   - if you touch a stove you will be burned
   - if you break a rule you will receive harmed

Question 13

What is number 3 of McGregor’s rule?

Answer 13

3. Consistency
   - everyone will have the same degree of a burn
   - any person that breaks a rule will be disciplined

Question 14

What is number 4 of McGregor’s rule?

Answer 14

4. Impartiality
   - Everyone is burnt the same
   - everyone is punished the same no matter who they are

Question 15

What are strategies to create an environment of self discipline? (4)

Answer 15

1. Clearly written and communicated rules and regulation
2. Atmosphere of mutual trust
3. Judicious use of formal authority
4. Employee identification with organizational goals

Question 16

What is priority when using progressive discipline?

Answer 16

the slate should be wiped clean at the conclusion of a predesignated period

-ex. with tardiness; if you have had a written warning, you figure it out and fix the issue
if you are tardy again, you will have a clean slate as you did not show to work tardy within a specific amount of time

Question 17

Four common steps in Progressive Discipline:

Answer 17

1. Verbal admonishment
2. Written admonishment
3. Suspension from work without pay
4. Dismissal

Question 18

What is the steps of a disciplinary conference? (5)

Answer 18

1. State the problem clearly
2. Ask the employee why there has been no improvement
3. Explain the disciplinary action to be taken
4. Describe the expected behavioral change
5. get agreement to and acceptance of the plan

Question 19

What is the last resort of discipline?

Answer 19

termination

Question 20

Reasons for termination? (4)

Answer 20

• Poor performance
• continuous rule breaking
• repeated warnings
• disregard to change

Question 21

What is one issue that may call for termination without earlier discussion?

Answer 21

-Extreme safety issues

Question 22

Steps of the termination conference? (4)

Answer 22

1. state the facts of the case and the reason for termination
2. Explain the termination process
3. Ask for the employees input and respond calmly and openly
4. end the meeting on a positive note

Question 23

Define marginal employees

Answer 23

• Disrupt unit function because the quantity or quality of their work consistently meets only minimal standard
• These employees often make tremendous efforts to meet competencies yet usually manage to meet only minimal standards at best
• Traditional discipline is generally not constructive in modifying their behavior

Question 24

substance misuse

Answer 24

maladaptive patterns of psychoactive substance abuse

Question 25

chemical impairment

Answer 25

drug or alcohol addiction

Question 26

True or False:

Healthcare professionals have a higher incidence of chemical dependency than the general population

Answer 26

healthcare professionals have more money, more access to drugs, and high stress jobs

Question 27

What is the biggest reason for disciplinary action by licensing board?

Answer 27

chemical impairment

misappropriation of drugs for personal use

sale of drugs and drug paraphernalia to support nurses addiction

Question 28

What 3 areas are behavior changes typically seen in?

Answer 28

1. Personality/behavior changes
2. Job performance changes
3. time and attendance changes

Question 29

what chemicals are most often abused by nurses? (4)

Answer 29

1. Alcohol (most common)
2. opined pain relievers ( OxyContin, Vicodin)
3. Stimulants for tx of hypersensitivity disorders (Adderall, Concerta, or Ritalin)
4. CNS depressants for anxiety (Valium, Xanax)

Question 30

Characteristics of the late stage of chemical dependancy

Answer 30

• tolerance is developed by the employee
• employee needs greater amounts and more often to achieve the same effect
• The individual characteristically exhibits high defense
• Employee must continually use the substance even though he/she generally no longer gains pleasure from it

Question 31

Confronting the chemically impaired employee (4)

Answer 31

1. Gather as much evidence as possible of employees impairment
2. Immediate confrontation is necessary if manager suspects employee may be impaired and thus poses a risk to clients
3. Denial of the impairment or use of defense mechanisms should be expected; the manager should not nurture or counsel the employee
4. The manager should outline the plan for the employee to overcome chemical impairment

Question 32

Should you; as a coworker, confront a coworker with your suspicions of chemical dependance?

Answer 32

NOOOOO
This is the responsibility of the manager

You should take your suspicions to the manager, and let them do the investigation

Question 33

Steps of reentry for the recovering nurse: (4)

Answer 33

1. no psychoactive drug use is tolerated
2. The employee should be assigned to day shift for the first year
3. The employee should be paired with a successfully recovering nurse whenever possible
4. The employee should be willing to consent to random urine screening with toxicology or alcohol screens

Question 34

Qualifications for reentry: (3)

Answer 34

1. The employee must show evidence of continuing involvement with support groups (AA, NA) and attend meetings once a week
2. The employee should be encouraged to participate in a structured after care program
3. The employee should be encourages to seek individual counseling