Conflict Resolution in Nursing

Conflict Resolution in Nursing

Conflict Resolution Paper Guidelines

Purpose

The purpose of this assignment is to learn how to identify and effectively manage conflicts that arise in care delivery settings resulting in better management of patient care, including appropriate delegation. You will gain insight into conflict management strategies and develop a plan to collaborate with a potential nurse leader about the conflict and its impact in a practice setting.

Directions

1. Read Finkelman (2016), Chapter 13: Improving Teamwork: Collaboration, Coordination, and Conflict Resolution, section on Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, pp. 324-333.
2. Observe nurses in a care delivery setting. Identify a recurring conflict with the potential to negatively impact patient care. Decide if delegation was an issue in the conflict. This should be from your practice setting or prelicensure experiences.
3. Provide details of what happened, including who was involved, what was said, where it occurred, and what was the outcome that led you to decide the conflict was unresolved.
4. Identify the type of conflict. Explain your rationale for selecting this type.
5. Outline the four stages of conflict, as described in our text, and how they relate to your example.
6. Propose strategies to resolve the conflict. Search scholarly sources in the library and the Internet for evidence on what may be effective.
7. Discuss if delegation was an issue in the conflict. Be specific.
8. Describe how you would collaborate with a nurse leader to reach consensus on the best strategy to employ to deal with the conflict.
9. Describe the rationale for selecting the best strategy.
10. Provide a summary or conclusion about this experience or assignment and how you may deal with conflict more effectively in the future.

Type your paper using Microsoft Word 2010 or later.

Follow APA format. Consult your APA manual, and consider using the APA resources provided by Chamberlain.

Write a 5-7 page paper (not including the title or References pages) using APA format that includes the following.

1. Describe an unresolved (recurring) conflict that you experienced or observed. Identify the type of conflict.

(Staff nurse refusal of being pulled to the different unit for the shift.)

2. Provide details of what happened, including who was involved, what was said, where it occurred, and what was the outcome that led you to decide the conflict was unresolved.

As a nursing supervisor, I was approached by upset charge nurse complaining about staff nurse A refusal to be pulled to the different unit then where she usually works. Charge nurse stated that that nurse A in the middle of the nurse’s station in front of both day and night shift and patients family members refused to listen to the reasoning that for continuity of patient care tonight she will be pulled. The nurse B that was her turn to be pulled already had full patient assignment last night in this unit. Nurse A ignored Charge nurse and went directly to Nurse B and asked her to let’s check whos turn it is to be pulled. Nurse B to avoid even bigger seen just left the home unit to the one that nurse A was avoiding to be pulled.

3. Outline the four stages of the conflict, as described in Finkelman, and how the stages relate to your example. Decide if delegation was an issue in the conflict. Be specific.
4. Describe the strategies for conflict resolution and how you would collaborate with a nurse leader to resolve the conflict. Cites the course textbook and two scholarly sources.

Charge nurse followed the chain of command and brought the unresolved conflict to me the nursing supervisor. I listened to both parties individually. I let them expressed their point of view. I did not find any inappropriate behavior by the charge nurse. I pointed out to the Nurse A that she was inappropriate and unprofessional. Yelling at the nurse’s station is unacceptable behavior. Since she ignored charge nurse, it was insubordination. Then she bullied Nurse B to leave their unit. I allowed Nurse A to think about the situation and I asked her how would she feel when someone would treat her like she just did both nurses. She started to cry. Moreover, she apologized for her behavior. I asked her, in the future, if she does not agree with charge nurse decision to discuss that professionally. I added that I have to notify her manager about this incident. I told her to learn from her mistakes, avoid that kind of situation in the future. And be the best nurse and coworker she could be.

5. Provide a conclusion or summary of this experience and how you may deal with conflict more effectively in the future.