Conflict Management Styles
In Week 10, you considered how ethical, moral, and legal dilemmas can provoke internal conflict when a nurse’s values are not in alignment with the apparent demands of a situation or with others’ values, as well as external conflict that can arise as these dynamics are played out. Of course, conflict can also emerge through seemingly simple issues of little consequence—little consequence, that is, except when they are not properly managed.
Nurse leaders need to be familiar with conflict management styles and the impact these styles can have on interpersonal dynamics, and, ultimately, patient care. For this Discussion, you evaluate a situation marked by conflict and consider how conflict management strategies could be applied to promote positive results.
To prepare:
- Consider a conflict situation you witnessed or were engaged in within your practice setting (Hospital). Then, proceed as follows:
-
- Think about who was involved, how it was resolved (if it was), and how it might have been handled more effectively.
- Identify the conflict management style(s) employed by various individuals, including ineffective responses or no response to the situation.
- Evaluate your personal response to this conflict.
- What do your thoughts and actions in this and other conflict situations reveal about your typical approach to conflict?
Post by Tuesday 5/10/16 550 words in APA format
1)A description of how you handled or avoided a conflict, as well as the results of your approach.
2) Explain how would you respond to this conflict today and/or what steps you would take to improve your comfort level and skill for managing conflict in the future (including specific conflict management strategies you would use).
3) Explain how conflict management relates to your effectiveness as a leader.
INCLUDE 3 REFERENCES FROM THE LIST BELOW
Required Resources
Readings
- Marquis, B. L., & Huston, C. J. (2015). Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: Theory and application (8th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.
- Chapter 21, “Managing Conflict”
This chapter explores the many facets of conflict, describes what contributes to conflict, and provides strategies for resolving conflict.
- Chapter 21, “Managing Conflict”
- CPP. (n.d.). TKI. Retrieved July 24, 2012, from https://www.cpp.com/products/tki/index.aspx
Review the sample report and other items on the Thomas-Kilmann website. You may consider completing this assessment to better understand your conflict management style.
- Eagar, S. C., Cowin, L. S., Gregory, L., & Firtko, A. (2010). Scope of practice conflict in nursing: A new war or just the same battle? Contemporary Nurse, 36(1/2), 86–95.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
This article focuses on creating nursing teams as rapid change occurs within health care. The authors state that for a team to successfully handle conflict, there have to be clear boundaries, minimal confusion, and maximum communication.
- Johansen, M. L. (2012). Performance potential. Keeping the peace: Conflict management strategies for nurse managers. Nursing Management, 43(2), 50–54.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
“Handling conflicts in an efficient and effective manner results in improved quality, patient safety, and staff morale, and limits work stress for the caregiver,” (p. 50). This article presents strategies for managing conflict. Review the methods suggested and consider how you might be able to apply them in the workplace.
- Williams, S. (n.d.). Understanding conflict and conflict management. Retrieved from http://www.wright.edu/~scott.williams/LeaderLetter/conflict.htm
This short editorial delineates the major points of conflict resolution