Following the merger of a small community hospital, into a large chain (both nonprofit), the nurses at a hospital decided that their old uniforms - scrubs of a particular style and color - were inadequate. The nurses brought the issue up to their respective supervisors. The new parent organization has no policy regarding nursing uniforms and leaves that decision to local management although many other policies and procedures did change in order to make the hospital consistent with others in the parent organization's "family of hospitals and clinics". The parent organization does encourage a participatory decision-making management style and empowerment of staff at all levels. Cross-functional, self-directed teams were found throughout. These cross-functional teams often were named to deal with issues that might be affecting specific stakeholders. 

 It is Monday morning and you, Pat Reynolds, assistant director of nursing, is having your weekly meeting with the various department directors (e.g., nursing director of the emergency room, nursing director of pediatrics, nursing director of the operating rooms, etc.). The issues of the uniforms is brought up. Apparently, many nurses want uniforms that are more casual and comfortable although a smaller group want something more "official and professional looking" and a small number of nurses apparently want to keep the old one. The one thing everyone agrees on is that all nurses must wear the same uniforms, for consistency sake and so they can be easily identified as nurses by colleagues, patients, visitors, etc. 

 

 Questions

Who should be on the team? 

How will the team select a leader? 

What will be the goal of the team? 

What will need to be included in the agenda of the first meeting? 

What will the "team agreement" be? 

How should conflict be dealt with and how will consensus be achieved?

Assuming that not all the hospital's nurses will be happy with the final decision - whatever it is - what message(s) should be conveyed to them?