Janet has been working as a nurse manager for a little over six months. Since she took this position, nurses have asked her a variety of questions related to paid leave, health insurance coverage, retirement plans, and other important issues. Each new question causes Janet to wonder whether she is providing her staff with sufficient information. Janet realizes that she needs help answering these questions, and she is curious to see if she can enlist the assistance of someone in the Human Resources department. Despite her experience as a nurse and as a nurse manager, Janet is not sure what kind of support HR can provide, nor how and when she should request their help.

Nurse managers may be uncertain about the roles that HR plays in health care organizations. In addition, many managers are unclear about how HR can support them with the staff function of their managerial responsibilities. As a nurse manager, what questions might you have about HR’s role? Furthermore, how have your previous experiences impacted your perceptions?

To prepare

• Reflect upon the role HR has played in your current organization or one with which you are familiar. What interactions have you noticed between HR professionals and other staff in this setting? How do these interactions compare to those of nurse managers and staff that you have observed?
• Complete the media survey, “Survey on HR,” found in this week’s Learning Resources. Though this survey is not graded, take careful note of the questions asked and the correct answers.
• Review Chapter 1, “The New Human Resource Management Process” in the course text, Human Resource Management: Functions, Applications, & Skill Development, as well as this week’s media, “Introduction to Healthcare Human Resource Management.”
• Consider how your perceptions of HR are similar to or different from the roles of HR described in the Learning Resources. How does the role of HR differ from that of a nurse manager?

By Day 3

Post a description of your media survey experience, including your survey results and your reactions to the survey. Explain at least two perceptions that you held regarding the role of HR compared to the role of the nurse manager. Describe how these perceptions were similar to or different from the roles outlined in the Learning Resources. Without identifying individuals or organizations, support your response by briefly describing experiences that may have influenced your perceptions.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses.