The presented case addresses the concept of nursing staff cooperation and socialization in medical settings that are not directly connected with clinical practice. According to it, various pharmaceutical representatives organized free lunches several times a week, primarily for physicians and other staff as well (Buchbinder et al., 2014). However, these representatives subsequently informed that doctors did not use enough products to continue the practice of lunch provision. In response to this, support staff members expressed their concerns as they liked having free lunches. In turn, almost all physicians supported the decision to stop this practice as it could be regarded as a conflict of interest not tied to educational endeavors (Buchbinder et al., 2014). Thus, the decision to cancel the provision of free lunches was made, and it left support staff members highly dissatisfied and unhappy.
In general, this dilemma is determined by several factors, and the main one is the ignorance of these lunches’ significance for staff members. It goes without saying that the idea to have a free lunch several times a week may be regarded as profitable, especially in relation to finances, however, shared mealtimes are highly important for people’s wellbeing in the workplace. In general, healthcare organizations may be defined as “prime examples of collaborative, complex work settings” (Hage et al., 2017, p. 1). The outcomes of health care and the achievement of specific goals strongly depend on good communication and effective teamwork. When people share lunches together, they have an excellent opportunity to communicate with each other, share knowledge and experience, build relationships on the basis of mutual trust and respect, and maintain a supportive, friendly atmosphere (Hage et al., 2017). That is why when luncheons stopped being scheduled, staff members could not cooperate with each other like before. In general, this decision may have a negative impact on the general performance of internal medicine practice as the working atmosphere and employees’ satisfaction are extremely important for it.
Another factor of this dilemma is connected with the already existing lack of communication and understanding between organization members that may lead to open conflict in the future. On the one hand, physicians have multiple tasks and probably do not have time to participate in lunch. On the other hand, they are not interested in the interaction with other staff members and do not consider their interests. One more factor that contributes to this issue is the failure of leadership to manage this conflict efficiently. As a matter of fact, a competent leader should understand both parties and care about all employees’ demands. However, in this situation, the decision was made only in favor of physicians without any compromise.
From a personal perspective, the practice of free lunches should be continued on a regular basis for staff members; however, its conditions can be changed to be comfortable for all parties involved. For instance, it could be organized one time a week, or a number of products could be limited for a smaller group. In this case, staff members will understand that their need for communication and cooperation is respected, and at the same time, physicians will keep their schedules. However, it will also be beneficial to explain to them that interaction with medical personnel is essential for efficient performance. Only in this case, the integrity of practice will be established.
References
Buchbinder, S. B., Shanks, N. H., & Buchbinder, D. (2014). Cases in health care management. Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Hage, T. W., Rø, Ø., & Moen, A. (2017). “Do you see what I mean?” staff collaboration in eating disorder units during mealtimes. BMC Nursing, 16(40), 1-9.