Physical Therapy and Nursing Staff of a Local Rehabilitation Hospital

Physical therapy and nursing staff of a local rehabilitation hospital are in conflict over which department is responsible for transporting patients to and from therapy appointments. The physical therapy team members state they do not have sufficient time to come to the nursing unit to pick up the patients, who often are not ready to be transported. The nursing staff members state transporting patients creates a shortage of nursing personnel on the floor. Managers from both departments have attempted to resolve the conflict with input from the staff members. All attempts at conflict resolution have failed. To promote collaborative conflict resolution, the department managers take which step?

A) Instructing the nursing staff to identify patient transport solutions that have worked well in the past.
B) Advising the physical therapy staff they are responsible for transporting patients to and from therapy.
C) Asking the hospital administrator to make an unbiased decision.
D) Initiating informal negotiation between the two departments.