IV. NEGOTIATION
D. SITUATIONS
TO PRACTICE APPLYING NEGOTIATION AND
ASSERTIVENESS SKILLS
SITUATION ONE
 Dr. Tanlow interrups Ms Serf RN as she is preparing pain
medication for 68 year old Mrs. Gould. It is already 15
minutes late. Dr. Tanlow says he needs Ms Serf
immediately in Room 20 C to assist with a drainage and
dressing change. Knowing that Mrs. Gould a diabetic will
respond to prolonged pain with vomiting, Ms Serf Rn
replies she will be available to help Dr. Tanlow in 10
minutes during which time she will have administered
Mrs. Gould’s pain medication. Dr. Tanlow already on his
way to Room 20C whirls around, stating loudly, “When I
say I need assistant, I mean now. I am a busy man, in
case you hadn’t noticed.”
 If you were Ms. Serf RN, what would be an
appropriate response utilizing negotiation and
assertiveness skills
IDEAS FOR SITUATION ONE
SITUATION TWO
 A newly hired nurse is helping a resident draw
femoral blood. The nurse states that although she
has never assisted with this procedure, she
thoroughly familiarized herself with the procedure
from the hospital manual. The nurse requests that if
the resident should require anything different from
the manual, he should tell her so. The resident
responds, “You should have practiced this with
someone else. I shouldn’t be stuck with a neophyte.
Ha Ha? Get it? Neophyte, instead of needle.”
 How should the nurse respond?
IDEAS FOR SITUATION TWO
SITUATION THREE
 Mrs. Swick had been working the evening shift for eight
months. When she was hired, she was promised in
writing that she would be moved to a permanent day sift
assignment as soon as a replacement could be found for
the evening shift. Recently, two new nurses have been
hired and assigned to permanent days.
 Writing a note to the supervisor brought no response.
 Mrs. Swick thus scheduled an appointment to discuss her
schedule with her supervisor.
 How would you approach this situation if you
were Mrs. Swick?
IDEAS FOR SITUATION THREE