Corexcel - Conflict Resolution - Handout
Corexcel - Conflict Resolution - Handout
Corexcel - Conflict Resolution - Handout
CONFLICT RESOLUTION IN
INSIDE THIS COURSE NURSING 1.5 Contact Hours
CONFLICT & COMMUNICATION ....1 TYPES OF
This continuing education course is intended to help
CONFLICT...................2 CONFLICT IN NURSING................3
CONFLICT MANAGEMENT nurses identify conflict, understand various types of
STRATEGIES ..............................3 CASE SCENARIO conflict, implement strategies to effectively manage
........................4 COMMUNICATION SKILLS ...........5 ART OF conflict, and understand how to minimize conflict and
NEGOTIATION ................5 ORGANIZATIONAL TACTICS.........6 prevent escalation of conflict situations in the nursing
CONCLUSION & REFERENCES.....7 CE environment.
EXAM...................................8 EVALUATION
............................10
Course Objectives
Online
leads to higher staff turnover rates, increased healthcare costs, patient dissatisfaction and an overall
decrease in organizational morale.
Quality and safe patient care depends on a collaborative work environment that stresses teamwork and
communication. The Joint Commission developed a leadership standard, effective January 1, 2009, to
address issues of conflict in the workplace. This standard calls for an organizational code of conduct that
defines acceptable versus disruptive or inappropriate behaviors. The standard also calls for leaders to
create and implement processes to effectively manage conflict in the workplace. The Joint Commission
report also identifies two main factors involved in healthcare workplace conflict:
∙ Personal Factors: The Joint Commission reports that the stress involved when dealing with high
emotion situations, especially when coupled with fatigue can lead to intimidating or disruptive
individual behavior. Healthcare professionals who possess characteristics such as self
centeredness, immaturity or defensiveness are more prone to these types of behavior and often
lack interpersonal, coping, or conflict management skills.
∙ Organizational Factors: The same report also points out how the uniqueness of the healthcare
cultural environment can create challenges for interpersonal communication and trust issues
between team members. The healthcare environment is marked by productivity demands, cost
containment issues, embedded hierarchies and the ever-present fear and stress caused by the
possibility of litigation. A continual flux of change is present in healthcare, further contributing to
an environment where conflict can be expected and must be dealt with effectively for positive
outcomes.
∙ Intrapersonal Conflict: This type of conflict occurs within a person when confronted with a situation
that causes discomfort. Intrapersonal conflict can affect others working with the nurse who is
experiencing this type of conflict and lead to the next type of conflict. An example of intrapersonal
conflict is a nurse who is working a shift that interferes with her family schedule and is creating
conflicting emotions in that nurse.
∙ Interpersonal Conflict: This type of conflict occurs between two or more people who disagree on an
issue due to factors such as differing goals, values, ethics, or priorities. This is the most common
type of workplace conflict. An example of interpersonal conflict is a situation where a family
member is angry with a nurse over a treatment or medication change.
∙ Intergroup Conflict: This type of conflict is similar in nature to interpersonal conflict, but occurs
between two or more groups of people. An example is a disagreement between two units about
the best way to transfer a patient and provide a handoff report.
∙ Organizational Conflict: This type of conflict occurs when there is a disagreement between staff
and the organization over issues including policies and procedures, changes occurring on the
unit, or organizational standards. An example is an organizational change in documentation the
nurses feel is unnecessary or redundant.
∙ Avoiding: This strategy is the least effective method of dealing with conflict because nothing is
resolved, only postponed. However, in a volatile situation sometimes using the avoidance
strategy to walk away and clear your head may be the best strategy to use.
∙ Accommodation: This strategy is also considered largely ineffective because it often results in
future conflict. Accommodation involves putting someone else’s needs or goals ahead of
someone
else’s (often your own) at a sacrifice. This strategy may temporarily resolve the conflict, but leads to
a build-up of frustration and resentment.
∙ Competing: This strategy involves someone pursuing their own goals, needs or desires at the
expense of others. While some competition may benefit the workplace, using competing as a
strategy to management conflict leads to aggression and anger and is often found in power
struggles.
∙ Compromising: This is considered an effective strategy to deal with conflict. In this method, both
parties are willing to give something up in order to gain something. This strategy is only effective
if both parties feel their trade-offs are fair and equal.
∙ Collaborating: This strategy is considered the best method for effective conflict management. Both
parties identify shared goals and work together in a fashion where both parties are satisfied with
the outcome.
CASE SCENARIO
Nurse R arrives for her 12-hour shift in the emergency room department and finds that her assignment is
quite heavy. She has been assigned seven patients, including two who are currently unstable. She notices
that Nurse M has a light assignment with only five patients, all of whom are scheduled to be discharged to
home during the shift. She feels frustrated because her patient load exceeds the ER guidelines regarding
patient number and acuity. She knows Nurse M often receives lighter assignments because she is known
to be intimidating and aggressive. She decides to address the issue with her charge nurse who tells her
she is busy and “it is what it is.” Increasingly frustrated, Nurse R decides it is time to approach the unit
manager about this ongoing issue.
What are some ways the nurse manager can address the issue and manage this conflict situation
effectively?
A. Avoidance: The nurse manager can choose to avoid the situation and say nothing or tell Nurse
R she is too busy to address the situation.
Results: Nurse R walks away feeling more frustrated and powerless over the situation.
B. Competing: The nurse manager can become dominating and tell the charge nurse the
assignment is unacceptable and needs changed immediately.
Results: The charge nurse is upset and angry at both Nurse R and the manager. The manager
later feels regret that she handled the conflict in this manner and has caused more stress and
discord on the unit. Nurse R gets the results she wanted, but now is at odds with her charge
nurse and the other nurse on the unit.
C. Compromise: The nurse manager can discuss Nurse R’s concerns with the charge nurse and
engage her assistance to find a speedy solution that will make both nurses happy.
Results: By engaging the charge nurse and asking for her help, the manager can address
the situation without escalating it. If they can work together to find a solution that works for
both nurses, this approach may result in a positive outcome.
D. Collaboration: The manager can have an informal meeting with both nurses and the charge
nurse where they can discuss ways they can all come to an acceptable solution.
Results: Each party can give input and feel their opinion is important and heard by
management. With all involved parties included, each will be more willing to compromise for the
overall benefit of everyone on the unit including other staff members and patients. This solution
offers the best way for a speedy resolution while also improving patient care and patient
outcomes.
∙ Mutual Respect: Both parties must remain respectful towards the other party and keep the focus
on the issue and not resort to personal attacks.
∙ Needs Versus Wants: Each party should examine whether their issue is a need or a want, as well
as seek to understand the other party and their needs and wants. Clarifying this point can improve
collaboration and compromise during a conflict.
∙ Compassion and Empathy: Both parties must act with compassion and empathy to the other party if
conflict is to be managed effectively. Both parties must be willing to actively listen to the other party
with an open mind and without becoming defensive.
∙ Stay in the “I”: Each party needs to stay focused on “I” statements and not fall into the habit of
using accusatory “you” statements which often lead to an increase in conflict and create an
environment of blame.
1. Do not take negative comments or information presented personally. Instead, listen to the other
party with an open mind while trying to determine the core of the actual problem. While it may
be a normal reaction to become angry and defensive when faced with criticism, effective
communication and negotiation requires both parties seek to understand the other party and
collaborate to find an effective solution.
2. The second rule involves identifying the need being expressed by the other party. Is the need a
personal need, an institutional need, or a patient need? By staying in control of your own
emotions and identifying the unmet need, you can move on to the third rule in successful
negotiating, which is finding a solution.
3. The third rule focuses on finding a positive solution for all the parties involved. To accomplish
this, each party must be willing to give something up, or to compromise. Although it may be
difficult to give something up in the immediate short-term, by keeping long-term goals in mind,
it becomes easier to negotiate conflict situations as they arise.
∙ Engage in Dialogue: The organization and management need to be willing to engage in dialogue.
Nurses should have the opportunity to speak at councils or meetings and give their perceptive
and concerns on issues that are currently creating conflict or have the potential to create conflict.
This important step will often be enough to prevent the conflict from continuing or escalating.
∙ Debriefing and Education: Staff conflict needs to be identified as an opportunity for dialogue and
communication skills training. Nonpunitive debriefing after a conflict situation allows everyone to
reflect on the incident and seek ways to learn from it. Role-playing and the use of case scenarios
can be helpful in preventing or minimizing conflict by teaching effective communication skills and
providing a non-threatening environment to practice these skills. This allows nurses to feel better
prepared and more confident in real-life conflict situations.
∙ Identify Potential Conflict: Organizational leaders can help identify potential areas for conflict and
develop policies and procedures to handle conflict that may occur. Conflict is inevitable in the
workplace, especially in fast-paced healthcare settings with various disciplines working together in
high-stress situations. By becoming aware of where potential conflict situations are likely to occur,
the organization can prepare the staff and provide tools and guidance to handle the situation
effectively.
∙ Recognize Conflict Early: If conflict is not managed effectively, it often continues to grow and
escalate. Nurse managers and other organizational leaders must receive the necessary training
to recognize conflict in the early stages and be prepared to act as a guide towards successful
resolution. This step produces a workplace that focuses on cooperation and collaboration.
REFERENCES
Cardilla, D. (2017). Seven strategies for managing conflict. The Iowa Nurse Reporter, pp.8-10.
Dahlkemper, T. (2017). Nursing leadership, management, and professional practice for the lpn/lvn, 6e.
(2017). Retrieved from https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.libproxy.uncg.edu.
Johansen, M. (2012). Keeping the peace. Nursing Management (Springhouse), 43(2), pp.50-54.
Mahon, M.; Nicotera, A. (2011). Nursing and conflict communication: avoidance as preferred strategy.
Nursing Administration Quarterly, ISSN: 1550-5103, Vol: 35, Issue: 2, Page: 152-63.
ADDITIONAL CONFLICT RELATED RESOURCES
Everything DiSC Productive Conflict
Everything DiSC Productive Conflict is a behavior assessment, and available presentation materials, that
gives participants the tools to turn conflict into productivity.
Handling Workplace Conflict is an online course that helps managers understand employee conflict
styles, identify causes of conflict, and implement strategies for addressing conflict.
∙ Online Course
1. Conflict can be defined as a state of disharmony that occurs within a group of people with differing
viewpoints, opinions, values, or priorities.
A. True
B. False
2. This type of conflict occurs between two or more people who disagree on an issue due to factors such
as differing goals, values, ethics, or priorities. This type of conflict is the most common type of
workplace conflict.
A. Intrapersonal conflict
B. Interpersonal conflict
C. Intergroup conflict
D. Organizational conflict
3. This type of conflict occurs when nurses clash over philosophies, experiences, or collusion.
A. Staffing conflict
B. Nurse-to-Nurse conflict
C. Nurse-to-Physician conflict
D. Nurse-Patient conflict
4. Lateral workplace violence does not include covert or overt acts of verbal aggression.
A. True
B. False
5. This conflict management strategy is considered the least effective method of dealing with conflict
because nothing is really resolved, only postponed.
A. Avoiding
B. Competing
C. Compromising
D. Collaborating
6. Successfully being able to negotiate in a conflict situation requires the ability to define unmet needs of
the other party.
A. True
B. False
7. This type of conflict occurs in the healthcare workplace when there is a difference in power or
perceptions of power.
A. Staffing conflict
B. Nurse-to-Nurse conflict
C. Nurse-to-Physician conflict
D. Nurse-Patient conflict
8. The Joint Commission report identifies two main factors involved in healthcare workplace conflict as
personal and organizational factors.
A. True
B. False
9. This conflict management strategy involves someone pursuing their own goals, needs, or desires at
the expense of others.
A. Avoiding
B. Competing
C. Compromise
D. Collaborating
10. Role-playing and the use of case scenarios can be helpful in teaching effective communication skills,
but are also a source of conflict and tension.
A. True
B. False
TEACHING/LEARNING METHODS
OVERALL ACTIVITY
* If you answered “Yes” to question 10, what change do you intend to make?
What barrier, if any, may prevent you from implementing what you learned?
Cite one new piece of information you learned from this activity:
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The goal of healthcare is to provide the best possible care to all patients; indeed, many healthcare
professionals must recite a pledge similar to the Hippocratic oath upon licensure. However, it is possible
for healthcare professionals to have implicit bias that leads to substandard care.
Implicit bias is an unconscious attitude leading to stereotypes that influence thought and action. Not being
aware of this bias can lead to unintentional discrimination in patient assessment and diagnosis, treatment,
follow-up care, etc. Discrimination, unconscious or otherwise, in these impacted areas of healthcare leads
to disparities where disadvantaged patient populations receive unequal care. Patient groups especially at
risk of receiving unequal care may include:
An example of healthcare disparities can be seen in breast cancer mortality rates. Black women are 41%
more likely to die from breast cancer than white women. Additionally, they are less likely to be diagnosed
with stage I breast cancer, but twice as like to die from early breast cancer.
Eliminating implicit bias can help reducing disparities in healthcare. Strategies for healthcare
professionals to remove bias from their practice may include:
∙ Regulating emotions – being aware of, and control, thoughts and feelings
∙ Building partnerships – working with patients to achieve a common goal
∙ Taking perspective – understand the patient perspective during all phases of healthcare
Recognizing implicit bias and working to remove it from practice will help healthcare professionals to give
the best care possible to all patients and reduce the disparities between patient populations.
REFERENCES
Alspach, J. Implicit bias in patient care: an endemic blight on quality care. Crit Care Nurse (2018) 38 (4):
12–16.
Aujero, M. Breast cancer screening for at risk women. Oral presentation at: 23rd Annual Breast Cancer
Update; February, 2021; Wilmington, DE.
Narayan, M. CE: addressing implicit bias in nursing: a review. Am J Nurs (2019) 119 (7): 36-43.
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