In a healthcare setting, conflicts can happen between different types of people and be based on a variety of reasons. However, the strategies for disagreement resolution are similar in each situation. Johansen (2012) finds that five main approaches to managing conflict situations exist, including “dominating, obliging, avoiding, compromising, and integrating” (p. 51). Each of these methods has its drawbacks, although integration is considered to be more beneficial than others (Al-Hamdan, Norrie, & Anthony, 2014). Nevertheless, people often approach such stressful situations using their personal experiences and characteristics without evaluating the outcomes of their behavior (Higazee, 2015). Thus, conflicts are not solved effectively each time they arise. In my practice setting, an interpersonal dispute between a patient’s family and a caring nurse occurred once. It quickly escalated because one of the parties failed to exercise an effective resolution strategy and focused on personal needs.
In the mentioned above conflict, the patient was a young woman, whose parents wanted to visit her often throughout the day. Moreover, they wanted to actively participate in the decision-making progress without the consent of their daughter, although she was fully capable of making choices. At one point in time, parents came to visit their daughter outside of visiting hours and asked to see her. A nurse who was responsible for the patient at that time stated that she is currently occupied and cannot talk to them. Moreover, the nurse noted that they should come at a suitable time to see their daughter without any problems.
The patient’s parents became frustrated and started raising their voice while saying that their daughter could not be busy because they were not aware of any treatment being established. The nurse attempted to respond politely to state that the patient was an adult who was fully capable of agreeing to all types of procedures. Only her consent was necessary for undergoing treatment. The conflict, however, was not resolved, as the family demanded to see a physician, who would be “more knowledgeable and trustworthy.” Upset with their comments, the nurse withdrew from the conversation and said that they had no other choice but to leave immediately.
In this conflict, the nurse employed a number of management styles. First, she attempted to interact with the patient’s parents and present a solution – returning at a different time. However, upon being ignored, she utilized her position and used a dominating strategy, asking the family to leave. Here, her behavior can also be interpreted as avoidance of conflict, as she dismissed their negative comments. Nevertheless, another party in the dispute, the parents, did not act effectively in managing this conflict. As a contrast, they failed to be attentive or understanding, trying to dominate the conversation instead (Marquis & Huston, 2017). The dispute could have been resolved more effectively if the patient’s family considered the nurse’s points. In this case, their collaboration would bring the most beneficial results – the parents would understand when and how to visit their daughter and what authority did they have in regards to her treatment.
Analyzing the actions of the nurse, I believe that my behavior would be similar to hers. The use of a collaborative strategy, where the nurse was prepared to discuss possible solutions and provide her knowledge is close to my actions in this situation. Similarly, the frustration caused by the failure to follow the required procedure would also make me want to avoid any further discussions. This shows that, as a future leader, I still have to work on my conflict managing skills and develop an approach that would encourage people to participate and not base their responses on emotions.
References
Al-Hamdan, Z., Norrie, P., & Anthony, D. (2014). Conflict management styles used by nurses in Jordan. Journal of Research in Nursing, 19(1), 40-53.
Higazee, M. Z. A. (2015). Types and levels of conflicts experienced by nurses in the hospital settings. Health Science Journal, 9(6), 1-7.
Johansen, M. L. (2012). Keeping the peace: Conflict management strategies for nurse managers. Nursing Management, 43(2), 50-54.
Marquis, B. L., & Huston, C. J. (2017). Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: Theory and application (9th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.