Read the following case study scenario: 

I Don’t Want to Get Fired, But… 

A small for-profit skilled nursing facility is located in a suburb of a major metropolitan area and in part of a local long-term care chain. The owner of the chain of the facilities, Mr. Frank Dobbs, hired his long-time friend as the administrator approximately 2 years ago. It is obvious to the employees that the administrator, Mr. Bill Stevens, has a close personal relationship with the owner of the corporation. The nursing home has a good reputation, and its scores on various websites show historically being about on par with its local competitors. The nursing staff has generally been at the facility a long time and is considered stable in the current environment.

Olive Washing is a certified nurse assistant (CNA) who came on board approximately 6 months ago. She has been well received by the nurses and is happy to be working at the facility. Over the last couple of months, the administrator, Mr. Stevens, has decided to make executive rounds and as a result is becoming more known to the nursing staff. His remarks to the nurses as he makes his rounds seem inappropriate to Olive. She feels that the remarks are culturally insensitive, and some of the other nurses in her team have complained about his remarks to the director of nurses, Mrs. Alice Gonzalez. Olive has also heard from a new housekeeper she has befriended named Ramon Alvarez. He says he, too, has been the recipient of inappropriate remarks by Mr. Stevens. Olive, having not been at the facility very long, did not want to complain and is waiting to see the outcome of the other nurses’ discussions. None of the nurses are willing to approach the administration themselves due to fear of losing their jobs. The director of nurses, Alice, listens to the various staff members’ complaints regarding the comments made by Mr. Stevens during his rounds. Alice is somewhat hesitant to approach Mr. Stevens directly because he has a temper. She has seen him blow up over issues where he is criticized, and she is not sure if she wants to be subjected to his confrontational behavior. Alice is on good terms with the owner of the facility, Mr. Dobbs, and could go to him directly, but she is concerned that Mr. Stevens will be upset if she goes over his head. Alice considers taking a less interventional approach and attempts to coach Mr. Stevens on making more appropriate remarks to the staff when he makes rounds.

Alice is vacillating on which approach to take. While she agrees that the administrator’s comments are unacceptable, she also does not want to ruin her chances of getting the raise that she’s due for after her annual evaluation. Additionally, Mr. Stevens does have a history of letting people go when he is upset, and she is concerned about being able to find another job in the current environment. Yet Alice just heard through the grapevine that two new employees are also the targets of Mr. Steven’s inappropriate remarks.

What are the various choices Alice has at this point to address the concerns raised?

What are the ramifications if Alice decides not to act at this time?

1. If you were Alice, what would you do and why?
2. Compose a 2 page written application describing the main problems within the scenario, addressing the questions above.