You are a unit manager in an acute care hospital. You are awarethat staff occasionally leave at the end of the shift withforgotten hospital supplies in their pockets. You remember howoften as a staff nurse you would unintentionally take home rolls ofadhesive tape, syringes, penlights, and bottles of lotion. Usually,you remembered to return the items, but other times you did not.Recently, however, your budget has shown a dramatic andunprecedented increase in missing supplies, including gauze wraps,blood pressure cuffs, stethoscopes, surgical instruments, andpersonal hygiene kits. Although this increase represents only afraction of your total operating budget, you believe that it isnecessary to identify the source of their use. An audit of patientcharts and charges reveals that these items were not used inpatient care. When you ask your charge nurses for an explanation,they reveal that a few employees have openly expressed that takinga few small supplies is, in effect, an expected and minor fringebenefit of employment. Your charge nurses do not believe that theproblem is widespread, and they cannot objectively document whichemployees are involved in pilfering supplies. The charge nursessuggest that you ask all employees to document in writing when theysee other employees taking supplies and then turn in theinformation to you anonymously for follow-up.
Assignment:
Because supplies are such a major part of the operating budget,you believe that some action is indicated. You must determine whatthat action should be. Analyze your actions in terms of thedesirable and undesirable effects on the employees involved intaking the supplies and those who are not. Is the amount of thefiscal debit in this situation a critical factor? Is it worth thetime and energy that would be required to truly eliminate thisproblem?
