You are a staff nurse in the intensive care unit (ICU) at one of your city’s two hospitals. You have worked at this hospital for 5 years and transferred to the ICU 2 years ago. You love nursing but are sometimes frustrated in your job due to a short supply of nurses, excessive overtime demands, and the stress of working with critically ill patients.

The hospital has a closed shop, so union dues are deducted from your pay even though you are not actively involved in the union. The present union contract is up for renegotiation, and the union and management have been unable to agree on numerous issues. When the management made its last offer, the new contract was rejected by the nurses. Now that the old contract has expired, nurses are free to strike if they vote to do so.

You had voted for accepting the management offer; you have two children to support, and it would be devastating to be without work for a long time. Last night, the nurses voted on whether to return to the bargaining table and try to renegotiate with management or to go out on strike. Again, you voted for no strike. You have just heard from your friend that the strike vote won. Now, you must decide if you are going to support your striking colleagues or cross the picket line and return to work tomorrow. Your friends are pressuring you to support their cause. You know that the union will provide some financial compensation during the strike but believe that it will not be adequate to support yourself and your children. You agree with union assertions that the organization has overworked and underpaid you and that it has been generally unresponsive to nursing needs. On the other hand, you believe that your first obligation is to your children.

DQ: List all of the reasons for and against striking. Decide what you will do. Use appropriate rationale from outside readings to support your final decision.

Discussion Protocol. Please observe the following 3 x 3 rule: when writing your weekly discussions: – A minimum of three paragraphs per DQ. Each paragraph should have a minimum of three sentences.

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One of the reasons for striking is to actively participate in the activity as a member of the union since union dues are deducted. Another reason to engage in the strike is to demonstrate support and unity with colleagues in striking. The challenges faced at the nursing workplace, such as excessive overtime demands and nursing shortages which create stress, are a reason for striking. On the other hand, there are also reasons against striking, such as financial needs to support my children. Besides, participating in the strike may only address the numerous issues between the union and the management while neglect to meet individual needs. Also, striking may create a negative relationship with the administration, resulting in firing or suspensions (Catlin, 2020).

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