Strategies for Effective Conflict Management

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This week’s focus is the intersection of communication and collaboration in the role of the Advance Practical Nurse.

 

WRITE A PEER RESPONSE OR REVIEW OF THE ESSAY BELOW: 

  • Length: A minimum of 150 words per post, not including references
  • Citations: At least one high-level scholarly reference in APA per post from within the last 5 years

In healthcare, conflict is a common occurrence. According to Joel (2018), conflict often arises from differences in personalities, role assumptions, relationships, and communication styles. Here is a brief scenario of a dysfunctional conflict. A 35-year-old male came to the emergency room for a laceration of his forearm. He was quickly triaged, bandage applied and placed in a room. He is soon met in the room by a nurse who takes his medical history, medication list and reviews his allergies. She anticipates the need for sutures and sets the supplies for when the physician comes in. An x-ray was performed, and he is back in the room waiting on the evaluation and treatment from the physician. He has been in the emergency room for approximately ninety minutes and is becoming unhappy that he has not seen a physician yet. He started to make loud comments and gradually got louder. The nurse comes in to talk to him, and he is yelling that he has been here for over an hour and a half and no one has seen him. He is demanding to see a supervisor.

Ali & Mojbafan (2019) states that conflicts are due to misunderstandings and differences in ideas and needs. Miscommunications, misunderstandings, and personal differences are attributed to conflicts (Ali & Mojbafan, 2019). This example of dysfunctional conflict is related to anxiety, fear, poor communication, and miscommunications. There are five responses to conflict according to Thomas-Kilmann Index, which are \”avoiding, accommodating, compromising, collaborating, and competing (Joel, 2018 p. 330). When facing a conflict, you should stop and identify, review and declare one\’s goal to the conflict (Joel, 2018). The above scenario\’s conflict resolution strategy is first \”establishing a proper setting\” (Joel, 2018). Set an environment that is open and calming to allow for effective communications. Most areas of conflict are the result of miscommunication. Allow the patient to calm down and know that his needs and concern are being heard, and they are essential. Allow him time to talk and express himself. This will decrease anger and anxiety. Understanding the condition or situation is an effective approach to resolving conflict (Joel, 2018). Compromising and Collaboration will help to resolve this conflict. The Collaboration will identify the care goals to suture the arm, which will be a benefit to all parties. Effective conflict management has goals that are clear and professional strong (Joel, 2018). Although compromising leads to an unequal disadvantage, it would be effective in this situation (Joel, 2018). Explanation of delay and setting a mutually agreeable goal is part of the compromise.

References

Ali, M.M., & Mojbafan, A. (2019). Conflict and conflict management in hospital. International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, 32(3), 550-561. doi:https://dx. Doi.org.10.1108/IJHCQA-09-2017-0165

Joel, L.A. (2018). Advanced practice nursing: Essentials for role development (4th ed.) F.A. Davis Company