Project Management: Negotiation & Resolution of Austin Hospital Strike

This case study examines a strike by nurses at Austin Hospital in Melbourne, focusing on the hospital's need for committed medical staff to maintain operations and competitive advantage. The analysis includes preparation by understanding each party's issues, such as the nurses' concerns about irregular pay increases, long shifts, and stressful working conditions, as well as the hospital's worries about its reputation, finances, and patient care. Applying theories of collaborative problem-solving and collective bargaining, the study emphasizes the importance of a relaxed negotiation environment, transparent communication, and addressing interpersonal conflicts. Key points from both the Austin Hospital Nurses Union and the hospital administration are considered, highlighting the union's grievances regarding working conditions and pay, and the administration's concerns about patient care and financial impact. The conclusion stresses that transparency, active participation, and fair bargaining are essential for a positive decision-making process and strike resolution, suggesting that addressing nurses' grievances promptly can prevent future strikes. Desklib offers a platform to explore similar case studies and solved assignments.

Running Head: PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Work employability and negotiations
Author's Name
Institutional Affiliation

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Introduction
Case study:
The case is related to Austin Hospital, Melbourne which is facing a strike by the nurses.
The hospital cannot afford nurses strike as it can create a negative image of the hospital and
jeopardize the hospital’s patient safety. The hospital needs the support of committed medical
staff for its operations to run successfully and maintain a competitive advantage over the other
institutions.
Preparation
Preparation for the case would involve knowing each party and listing the main issues for each
party and make a case analysis to explore the issues further.
Name of Union - Austin Union for Nurses
Who do they represent?
Austin Union for Nurses protects the interests of its members, including their wages, working
conditions, hours and benefits. The Union works on behalf of the registered nurses and other
healthcare employees.
Issues
Nurses working in the Austin Hospital are unhappy about the following issues:
1 Irregular pay increase and at the bottom of the pay scale
2. Long working shifts and increased workload
3. Stressful working conditions
What do they want (their desired outcome)?

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Nurses look forward to easier shifts, better working conditions, and a better pay structure.
Name of Employer - Austin Hospital, Melbourne
Is the employer/manager answerable to anyone?
Austin Hospital is not only answerable to its patients and the community but also
responsible for the health care workers and staff working within the hospital. It is equally
accountable towards its stakeholders.
Issues (what are the main things they are unhappy about or they think are important)?
1. Austin Hospital is anxious about the nurses’ strike as it can hurt the hospital’s
reputation, finances, and patient care.
2. The hospital is worried that it is not easy to find replacement workers for, particularly
nursing-intensive conditions.
3. The hospital regards the safety of its patients as the top priority.
What do they want (their desired outcome)?
Austin Hospital wants the nurses to end their strike immediately and with favorable
outcomes for both parties.
Applying Theory
Healthcare professionals rely deeply on teams to achieve the objective of adequate patient
care and safety. Collaborative problem solving is an essential part of the health care system and
education (Chen, Allen, & Jonassen, 2018). Learning assessment and predetermined knowledge
within the team settings play an essential role in the outcome of the meetings and problem-
solving.
The process of negotiation is an essential one when one is in such a situation. The
subjective well-being influences the mechanism of negotiators' subjective outcome. As social

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comparisons influence an individual’s subjective well-being, negotiators should not just provide
information but make an effort for a happy process for an excellent subjective outcome as
asserted by Tian, & Jing (2012). The atmosphere on the negotiating table should be a relaxed one
so that both parties can hear each other out attentively and patiently.
The use of collective bargaining has worked as a bedrock of workplace rights between
employers and unions. Collective bargaining agreements can improve workplace conditions and
rights within the judicial and legislative frameworks (Trombetta, 2017). Collective bargaining
agreements carry the most robust potential to enhance the rights of workers and boost the union's
cohesiveness and bargaining power. To promote collective bargaining, every member of the
negotiating table needs to be well educated about the nature of their job (Idelson, 2018). Nurses
need an aggressive advocate as the negotiations are not just about themselves but the patients, the
community, and family as well. The union head must ensure that every participating member is
well aware of what to expect and what key areas to focus on during the negotiations.
The most common encounter within a hospital is that of nurse and the doctor. Majority of
conflicts were experienced within the interpersonal relationships. Such interpersonal conflicts
can impact the health care system and the workers (Jerng et al., 2017). Doctors, nurses,
managers and administrative workers taking part in the negotiation may have experienced
conflicts. It is essential to address those conflicts prior to the negotiations to improve
communication. Any doctor or nurse having a personal grievance against each other must put
aside those personal conflicts and think only for the best outcome for the hospital and its patient.
The aim of the negotiating members should be to come to a fruitful solution and the strike.
Key points made by the Austin Hospital Nurses Union

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Austin Hospital Nurses Union state that the current strike is the result of long-standing
grievances against the poor working conditions and an ambiguous pay structure. A disparity in
working conditions and salaries when compared to hospitalism other parts of the country make
the nurses feel as if they are getting exploited.
Nursing personnel and nurse managers agree that strike could be prevented if the
management paid attention to their grievances and adopted fair policies regarding pay and
working conditions. The Union felt that it fears unwilling participation by nurses because of fear
and intimidation from the hospital authorities.
Key points made by the Austin Hospital administration
Austin Hospital administration emphasizes how nurses’ strike can increase the patient
mortality and readmission. Due to the strike, the admitted patients get a lower quality of care.
The hospitals also take a financial hit during the strike as it means hiring hundreds of temporary
nurses from across the country. Being a nurse is a noble profession, and the strike not only
harms their reputation but the hospital’s reputation as well. Nurse’s strikes violate the status,
respect, and courtesy if Nurses and they cannot be trusted or respected. The professional code of
ethics demands unconditional responsibility of the nurse towards her or his patient.
Conclusion
Higher transparency, relaxed environment and active participation can strengthen the
bargaining process and lead to a positive decision making. Fair bargaining in a just environment
can lead to a responsible agreement and decision during the negotiation. The collective
bargaining committee must not take a narrow approach towards the nurses’ grievances. They
should realize the problem in the long-term perspective. The problem would not get solved, and
the strike can go on if the Union members are not satisfied with the solution. Aspects like the

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negotiation skills and collective bargaining and free and transparent communication can help end
the strike.
The hospital can avoid any such strikes by making a deal with the nurses and addressing
their grievances on time. It is essential for the hospital to realize hard work, dedication and
excellence in nurse’s role and responsibilities.

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References
Chen, W. W., Allen, C. a., & Jonassen, D. m. (2018). Deeper learning in collaborative concept
mapping: A mixed methods study of conflict resolution. Computers In Human Behavior,
87424-435.
Idelson, C. (2018). Great Leaders Never Retire, They Just Go "On Call". National Nurse, 114(1),
14.
Jerng, J., Huang, S., Liang, H., Chen, L., Lin, C., Huang, H., & ... Sun, J. (2017). Workplace
interpersonal conflicts among the healthcare workers: Retrospective exploration from the
institutional incident reporting system of a university-affiliated medical center. Plos
ONE, 12(2),
Tian, X., & Jing, Z. (2012). Feelings and Comparisons in Negotiation: One Subjective Outcome,
Two Different Mechanisms. Public Personnel Management, 41(5), 21-33.
Trombetta, C. (2017). The Undocumented Workers' Dilemma: Improving Workplace Rights For
Undocumented Workers Through Labor Arbitration And Collective Bargaining.
Georgetown Immigration Law Journal, (1). 127.