Giving Staff a Second Chance - Emerging Nurse Leader

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, FAAN

“Success does not consist in never making mistakes but in never making the same one a second time.” George Bernard Shaw

“I hope she will give me a second chance………I lost my cool and said many things that I should not have and then I walked out.” This was a conversation that I had recently with a staff member that I am mentoring. He is a brilliant nurse but lacks emotional intelligence. Given what had happened, I really was not sure that his manager would give him a second chance. This was one moment among many in their relationship. I certainly did not have all the facts or her perspective. I did advise him on how I would ask for this second chance. As it turned out, his manager did not give him a second chance but was emotionally supportive to him and expressed confidence in his ability to use this as a learning experience in moving forward.

Nurse leaders throughout their careers are periodically asked by staff to take a leap of faith, and give them a second chance. Making these decisions is not always easy and involve judgement calls. Here are some questions to consider as you individually evaluate each situation:

1. How serious were the problems that led to failure?

There are some problems that led to failure that may be too serious to consider giving the individual a second chance. Most nurse leaders are reluctant to give a second chance to a nurse who has diverted drugs, even when the individual goes through rehabilitation. A time and attendance issue might be a very different situation if trust was not fractured, and there were extenuating circumstances. Organizational human resource policies often play a big role in whether a leader can even consider a second chance in certain situations.

2. Where are they in their professional development?

In the case situation above, the nurse involved was very young when the failure occurred. Although we all make mistakes, younger staff often lack the judgement that evolves with more life experience and career development. Traumatic life experiences can also drive behavioral changes that lead to failure, and these also need to be considered.

3. Have they learned from the failure?

This is an important question to consider. When the staff member does not take full accountability for what happened, it is unlikely that they have learned what they need to know to be successful.

4. What we will they do differently if given a second chance?

When I give staff a second chance, I expect to hear what behaviors will change to create success a second time around.

5. Is the environment conducive to helping them succeed?

The culture of a unit or organization needs to be considered when giving staff a second chance. Will they be supported by those they work with, or is the trust irrevocably fractured. As well intentioned as you might be, you could be setting the individual up for a second failure if the culture is not supportive.

6. Are you prepared to extend the same opportunity to others if the situation presents itself?

Fairness is important in leadership. I remember as a young leader often being told by my director that decisions I made about staff requests would be closely monitored by other staff members. I needed to be certain that whatever special considerations I gave staff, I was prepared to extend to every other staff member. This was good advice that I used throughout my career.

As nurse leaders, second chances are among the valuable gifts that we can extend to others. It is a decision that requires thoughtful consideration. Sometimes, you give a second chance, and find that your confidence has been misplaced. But sometimes, you can be very surprised at what happens when you do. There is nothing that is more gratifying in leadership than watching a staff member make an incredible comeback from a failure.