Running head: THE ANALYSIS OF AN INTESIVE CARE UNIT SUPERVISOR
The Analysis of an Intensive Care Unit Supervisor
Jordan Furstenau
Ferris State University
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Running head: THE ANALYSIS OF AN INTESIVE CARE UNIT SUPERVISOR
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The Analysis of an Intensive Care Unit Supervisor
The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis of the job duties of an intensive care
unit (ICU) supervisor. The supervisor provided information regarding job duties, including
where they fall on the organizational chart and who they report to. Information was given related
to a previous ethical issue involving an ICU staff member. The supervisor provided details
related to their influential behavior and power. The supervisor also elaborated on their use of
decision-making and conflict management skills. Each area of the interview is analyzed and
supportive data is provided. Mary Hanson was the individual interviewed and she has been the
supervisor of a level II trauma ICU for just over 13 months. She has over 10 years’ experience in
the ICU since she graduated with her BSN in 1998. She has been a leader in the ICU, highly
respected by fellow nurses, and a nurse preceptor for several years prior to accepting the
position. She also has some experience teaching Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) classes
in the hospital. Her job duties and responsibilities are analyzed and supported by evidence-based
research and nursing theory.
Job Duties
Mary has several job duties and responsibilities as supervisor in the ICU. She works with
two physicians that work solely in the ICU. The two physicians are referred to as intensivists.
They are internists that specialized in a pulmonary critical care fellowship. Mary works with the
physicians on a daily basis to ensure that high quality care is delivered and patient outcomes are
being met. She stated that this is her main job duty and she takes it very seriously. She monitors
the progress of patients and is used as a resource for complaints from both patients and nurses.
She is in charge of overseeing the proper functioning of the ICU. She is responsible for the hiring
of employees and oversees a unit educator that is responsible for education and new hire
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orientation. She works alongside of this individual to ensure that the educational requirements
are being met by staff members on the unit. A duty of the nurse manager is to assist new
employees by advising them about educational programs available and required in the
organization (Yoder-Wise, 2011). She monitors staffing requirements and over-time. She works
under hospital administration (service manager) to ensure that all her responsibilities are being
met. She is required to meet with the service manager on a monthly basis but is in contact with
this person regularly. She also has a positive work relationship with several other unit
supervisors in which she uses as a resource. Mary is in charge of all the supplies on the unit and
has some control over what products are used.
Collaboration Role
Mary collaborates with many individuals while serving as supervisor of the ICU. She
collaborates with pharmacy, administration, laboratory, and other unit supervisors. There is a
full-time pharmacist that solely works in the ICU during the dayshift. Mary is responsible for
making sure that the pharmacist is working together with the nurses and physicians to meet
patient and quality standards. She claims to have a positive working relationship with the
pharmacist and can discuss improvements that must be made to maintain a healthy work
environment. Mary is utilizing her resources in order to facilitate collaboration with her
colleagues. This is an effective way to improve patient outcomes. Making the most of all
collaboration opportunities enhances positive patient outcomes (Chitty & Black, 2011).
Mary did not mention any specific details regarding her collaboration with other unit
supervisors. It was assumed from the interview that the hospital does not require much
collaboration between units. Mary is responsible for the ICU and all of her talking points
reflected that priority. This type of thinking may be detrimental to the safety of patients in her
Running head: THE ANALYSIS OF AN INTESIVE CARE UNIT SUPERVISOR
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unit and to the hospital. Hospitals that are organized using the old bureaucratic models of
independent units/departments that are not required to collaborate with each other simply won’t
work anymore (Kerfoot, 2006). Mary may need to focus more of her attention on collaboration
with other unit supervisors in order to continue to improve patient safety. Kerfoot suggests that it
is only through dialogue, consistency, collaboration, and continued conversation between nurse
managers that we will achieve excellence in patient safety (2006). She may have to change the
culture in the hospital to help facilitate this action in order to continue to meet patient outcomes
and safety measures.
Ethical Issues
Mary did not expand upon any current legal or ethical issues that were present in the unit.
She did reflect on a past experience that she encountered while acting as charge nurse in the ICU.
A nurse that was working with a post-operative open heart surgery patient violated her ethical
code of conduct as a nurse. She received lab results and vital signs that were critical and refused
to call the physician. She did not act in the best interest of her patient. She failed to act upon the
ethical code of beneficence. Beneficence is referred to as “the doing of good” and involves
patient advocacy (Chitty & Black, 2011). The patient became diaphoretic and started having
difficulty breathing as a result of the nurse’s negligence. The hospital had to provide an increased
length of stay for the patient as they were intubated as a result. The patient was negatively
affected and the organization was poorly represented as well as negatively affected. The nurse
was terminated for her lack of ethical practice.
Power and Influence
Mary claimed to not use her power and influence as a weapon. She also stated that she tries
not to be authoritative but collaborative. She tries to work together with staff in order to reach
Running head: THE ANALYSIS OF AN INTESIVE CARE UNIT SUPERVISOR
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successful compromises. Mary demonstrates appropriate use of power and influence in the
workplace. Collaboration among nurses with common goals results in greater success in
effecting change and exercising power in the workplace and within healthcare organizations
(Yoder-Wise, 2011). Mary’s actions as supervisor will result in improved patient outcomes as
nurses can effectively initiate policy improvements through collaboration. The hospital will
benefit from Mary’s behavior as supervisor as well. The unified efforts of a coalition of nurses
and managers can be powerful in effecting change in a healthcare organization (Yoder-Wise,
2011).
Decision-making and Problem-solving
Mary has to be an effective decision-maker in order to be successful at her job. She stated
that she tries to reflect upon previous problems and situations in order to develop and improve as
a decision-maker. Mary’s claims are indicative of using critical thinking in order to be an
effective decision-maker. Nurse supervisors who are able to use critical thinking and have the
"habits of mind" of a critical thinker are in a good position to assume a leadership role and create
the changes that will achieve positive outcomes in the hospital (Zori & Morrison, 2009). Her
actions as a decision maker will help improve patient outcomes. Her actions also reflect
positively on the organization and will facilitate a positive atmosphere. Mary exhibited effective
problem-solving skills in her role as nursing supervisor.
Management of Conflicts
Mary has developed conflict management skills during her time as supervisor in the ICU.
She has been involved in conflicts between herself and staff members, nurses with nurses, nurses
with physicians, and both nurses and physician conflicts with patients. She mostly deals with
conflicts involving patient complaints. She stated that her staff works very well together and she
Running head: THE ANALYSIS OF AN INTESIVE CARE UNIT SUPERVISOR
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tries to facilitate a positive work atmosphere. She thinks that a positive attitude is one of the most
important aspects of conflict management. She also uses an open door policy in which every
concern or problem is welcomed and tackled. Mary’s conflict resolution skills are appropriate
and effective for use by a supervisor. When a dispute occurs as a result of conflicting values or
opinions, following a defined set of principles is an excellent aid (Yoder-Wise, 2011). She often
receives complaints from patients for different reasons including issues with staff as well as
organizational complaints. She stated that she will focus on the problem and try her best to
resolve it so that all parties are happy with the result. She also said she will apologize to patients
in order to facilitate a resolution. Mary did not mention any focus on the actual cause of the
problem or conflict. She should try to focus on the root cause of the problem in order to prevent
future conflicts. Identifying stresses to relationships can help managers identify problems and
treat those problems at the root level (Tiffany, 2013). Mary has been able to resolve conflicts
effectively during her time as supervisor however with more experience and education she may
be able to focus more on the prevention of conflicts.
Conclusion
The role of the supervisor in the ICU is both complex and demanding. The nursing
supervisor has several duties including monitoring the care on the unit and ensuring patient
outcomes are being met. She often must collaborate with nurses, physicians, the unit educator,
and administration to achieve her goals. She must address and resolve legal and ethical issues
that present on the unit. She often has to exhibit excellent decision-making skills and critical
thinking. Mary also must be able to resolve conflicts among team members as well as patient
complaints. Mary has a lot of responsibilities and stressors but at the end of the day she claims,
“I love the work that I do”.
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References
Chitty, K.K., & Black, B.P. (2011). Professional nursing: Concepts and challenges (6th ed.)
Maryland Heights, MO: Saunders
Kerfoot, K. (2006). Reliability between nurse managers: The key to the high-reliability
organization. Nursing Economics, 24(5), 274-5. Retrieved from
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Tiffany, D. G. (2013). Relationship stresses: New ground for relationship management research.
Journal of Communication Management, 17(1), 75-91
Yoder-Wise, P.S. (2011). Leading and Managing in Nursing (5th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier
Mosby.
Zori, S., & Morrison, B. (2009). Critical thinking in nurse managers. Nursing Economics, 27(2),
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http://search.proquest.com/docview/236937990?accountid=10825