Nursing is as much about negotiating as it is about caring for the patient. We negotiate with patients, families, doctors and other nurses around the clock, every day. Looking at your work this way could shed a different light. What you once perceived as conflict might actually just be an ongoing negotiation.
This page introduces the approach to negotiation, which can be useful for a number of work situations, including the organization of flexible working hours. Knowledge of positive ways to approach negotiation can be useful for many work situations. Negotiations are the quintessence of nursing, whose main point is to solve a certain problem and achieve a compromise. This process can be reminiscent of a game, in which teammates sit on opposite sides of the table and play with different skill levels.
A qualified nurse is expected to negotiate based primarily on her emotional intelligence, experience, sensitivity, respect for patients and colleagues, as well as her ability to listen (Groves, 201).
Effective negotiation skills
have been identified as an essential component of the nursing manager role. Applying the negotiation process in today's dynamic and competitive healthcare environment is often difficult and stressful for the novice nurse manager. The authors describe a conceptual model of negotiation that can be used as a management development framework for the novice nurse manager.As cutbacks and health system reform bring changes to nurses' roles and healthcare structures, conflicts almost invariably arise. Conflicts are due to unclear expectations about new roles, to poor communication between management and staff, to a lack of clear jurisdiction over changing responsibilities, to personal differences in approaches to nursing, and to conflicting interests as different departments struggle to keep their share of the money allocated to healthcare. Friction can occur at the individual or group level; it can exist between nurses' shifts, between nurses and their managers, or between nurse managers and other administrators. In all cases, you, the nurse, are the one to take care of it.
Usama also taught in China for a brief period and saw how negotiation is different there, as it is throughout the Middle East. If you're thinking about negotiating a job and salary in the same way you approach nursing, you already have the tools you need to get a successful outcome. The results showed that nursing students preferred an inclusive negotiation style and that their conciliatory style improved after the intervention. One of the best ways for nurses to empower themselves is to learn and practice good negotiation skills, says Michelle Podlesni, RN, president of the National Association of Business Nurses.
As for my practice project, I suppose I would have to negotiate with some nurses, especially those who have strong personal care styles and are struggling to adopt new evidence-based interventions. Cohen, author of The Practical Negotiator, has trained health professionals in negotiation skills around the world and agrees that nurses must advocate for themselves. The person you have to negotiate with to get a part-time contract (or, in the case of doctors, the LTFT program), catches you in the hallway and asks if you can take a moment to discuss your application informally. From the Gaza Strip and I also had to get used to the negotiating style of the Americans who were born and raised here.
For all leaders, the ability to recognize the potential for conflict and the skills to resolve it are vital to the proper functioning and success of the organization. Even if you can't negotiate your starting salary, you may be able to negotiate during a salary and performance review or during an improvement plan meeting. Personally, I negotiated with the staff to implement a program of changes to patient care protocols and some team members were unwilling to use them. Both job-seeking and employed nurses may need to enter into negotiations to reach an agreement on salary and benefits.
In health care, there's an additional connotation, and that's the terms of bargaining and union contracts, he adds. While a bachelor's degree in nursing (BSN) prepares you for many employment opportunities, your earning potential may depend on your smart negotiation skills. Usama worked as a registered nurse in oncology and often negotiated with his colleagues the assignment of patients, for example, and the resolution of conflicts so that all parties were satisfied. In general, negotiation is necessary to increase earnings that reflect your nursing experience and ability.
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