What process is involved when nursing staff feel frustration and discomfort with a newly appointed nurse leader?

The correct answer, which is role discrepancy, refers to the gap or misalignment between the expectations that nursing staff have for a leader and the actual behavior or performance of that newly appointed nurse leader. When nurses feel frustration and discomfort, it often stems from the expectation that a leader should exhibit certain qualities, skills, or behaviors that are not being met in reality. This leads to feelings of dissatisfaction, confusion, or even resentment.

In the context of a newly appointed leader, if the staff expected effective communication, decisiveness, and support but experienced a lack of these qualities, there can be a clear discrepancy between what is anticipated and what is actually provided. This sense of mismatched expectations can create tension and affect team dynamics, making role discrepancy a key factor in understanding the staff's feelings.

The other concepts, while related to roles in teamwork, do not fully capture the specific dynamics at play when frustration arises in response to leadership.