Review the scenario below. Because supplies are a major part of your operating budget, you believe the identified problem requires action to be taken. You must determine what action is to be taken. Consider the following questions and analyze your actions:
1. Analyze your actions in terms of the undesirable and desirable effects on the employees involved in taking the supplies and those who are not.
2. Do you believe the amount of fiscal debt in the situation is a critical factor? Why or Why not?
3. Is it worth the time and energy to eliminate the problem?
4.Create a plan of action that you feel will eliminate the described dilemma (e.g., in-service education training session, behavior action plan).
Scenario:
You are the nursing director for a 20-bed cardiac step-down unit in a rural, private medical center. Recently, your budget has shown a dramatic increase in missing supplies, particularly batteries for the telemetry units and electronic stethoscopes. Although the increase represents a fraction of the total operating budget for your unit, you believe it is necessary to identify the source of their use. An audit of the census, telemetry records, and monthly supply orders reveal a decrease in the use of these items due to a decreased census during the winter holiday season, which follows historical trends. When you ask the nursing staff, they reveal that a few employees have openly admitted that they take a few small supplies home on occasion and, in effect, feel it is an expected and minor fringe benefit of employment—especially during the holiday season, when so many electronics that are bought for presents require batteries. The nursing staff does not feel the practice is widespread, and they cannot objectively document which employees are involved in the practice of pilfering batteries. The nursing shift team leaders suggest you ask all employees to document in writing when they see other staff taking supplies and then turn the information in anonymously for follow-up.
