Effective Approach To Managing Conflict Discussion
A conflict I encountered in my nursing practice
Conflict is unavoidable in nurses’ work environment due to the content and nature of nurses’ work. The common causes of conflict in nursing are differences in styles of management, competition among nurses/ groups, insufficient working conditions, and staff perceptions (Tuan et al., 2023)Effective Approach To Managing Conflict Discussion. I encountered conflict during the end-of-shift report when I asked a nurse whether an elderly patient had received treatment during the previous shift. The nurse was offended by my question and yelled at me, saying I should follow up with the doctor. The stakeholders involved in the conflict included patients, the physician, the unit nurse supervisor, myself, and the nurse I had the conflict with.
How the conflict was resolved and the conflict resolution style used
I resolved the conflict by avoiding confronting my colleague. I walked away because I felt that responding to her would worsen the situation. Avoiding was the conflict resolution style used in this situation. According to Lalwani et al. (2024)Effective Approach To Managing Conflict Discussion, avoiding conflict resolution involves sidestepping or ignoring the conflict and/ or its resolution. This style might be helpful when working with an individual who gets angry quickly. Chang and Hatcher (2024) emphasize that in a volatile situation, avoiding resolving the conflict by walking away to clear one’s head might be the most appropriate strategy.
Efficacy of the resolution
The conflict was not effectively resolved because the issue of the other nurse yelling at me was not addressed. Chang and Hatcher (2024) indicate that avoiding conflict resolution is the least effective strategy for tackling conflict since the issue is not resolved, only postponed. Compromising would have been the most appropriate conflict resolution style to address the conflict since the strategy involves selecting a solution that involves the least distress for both parties. Lalwani et al. (2024) indicate that parties use the compromising strategy to find a level ground where resolution satisfies both parties and their concerns.
My preferred mode of conflict resolution
Collaborating is my preferred mode of conflict resolution. According to Lalwani et al. (2024)Effective Approach To Managing Conflict Discussion, collaborating is a style of managing conflict that involves all parties working jointly to understand the main concerns and finding a solution that addresses the concerns of both parties. Collaborating is an effective approach to managing conflict for a long-standing team in which there is a need to preserve relationships.
References
Chang, E., & Hatcher, D. (2024). Transitions in Nursing – E-Book: Preparing for Professional Practice. Elsevier.
Lalwani, K., Cohen, I. T., Choi, E. Y., Robins, B., & Kirsch, J. (2024). Professional, Ethical, Legal, and Educational Lessons in Medicine: A Problem-Based Learning Approach. Oxford University Press.
Tuan, H. M., Huong, T. T., & Tung, L. V. (2023). Conflict management styles of nurse managers and influencing factors in children’s hospital, Vietnam. Journal of Integrative Nursing, 5(4), 266-272. DOI: 10.4103/jin.jin_103_23 Effective Approach To Managing Conflict Discussion
General Instructions:
Conflict is common in healthcare settings. Common team sources of conflict include hierarchical relationships, authority differentials, poor communication, negative or disruptive behaviors, and multigenerational interprofessional teams.
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