Addressing an Employee with Mental Health Issues - Essay Example

          It is unethical to allow a mentally ill nurse to take care of patients who are recuperating in the hospital. It is also unethical for T.C to have arguments with her fellow staff in a hospital setting. The nurse manager is at times forced to leave her other pressing duties so as to speak with her. She ends up wasting a lot of time with her as she coaxes her to follow her instructions. It is also unethical that F.J has sent emails to other nurse managers and even spoken verbally to them about T.C’s situation without consulting with the director and this infringes T.C’s right to privacy. It would be illegal to dismiss T.C as it is apparent that her frequent outbursts are due to mental illness.

The best way of managing the situation

          It is important to talk with the employee in a non-judgmental way. The conversation will address issues dealing with their performance at work and relationships with other staff members. It is important that you get to the bottom of the frequent outbursts without infringing on the employee’s personal rights to privacy. It is important to give the employee an opportunity to disclose a possible mental illness (Kemp 2009).

          It is then important to politely tell the employee about accommodations that you can make for them as they seek treatment (Miller 2008). This will enable recovery and ensure that safety in the work environment is guaranteed. Unless the employee prefers to inform others, the conversation should remain strictly confidential. Other employees should be informed of the accommodations in a way that does infringe the employee’s privacy.

          The employee can also be given sick leave if they cannot be able to work or the recovery process needs close supervision (Ryan 2011). This will give the employee ample time to recover and deal with the issue that might be stressing them. However, it is important to regularly check on the employee during the sick leave to determine how the recovery process is going on. This should be done with maximum discretion to avoid the employee being stigmatized by other employees. It might also be important to refer the employee to employee assistance providers or community service providers who might help the patient get better (Zimmermann 2012).

          It is important than after some period of time to review the performance of the employee. If the situation has not improved and the employee has not asked for additional time to recuperate or sick leave, then it is advisable to take disciplinary action against the employee. This should be done in accordance with the company’s policy while ensuring that the privacy of the employee is paramount (Williamson & Daw 2013).

Conclusion

          Dealing with these employees with mental illnesses is never an easy task. Precautions should be taken so that the situation is not further worsened. Talking to the employees to help you understand their condition will help solve such an issue. If the employee is fit to work, proper accommodations should be given to help the employee to fully recover. Sick leave may also be given if the employee is found unfit to work in such an environment. If there are no improvements in the agreed period of time and the employee does not request for more time disciplinary action should be taken against the employee.