Running head: DEALING WITH CONFLICTS IN HEALTHCARE 1

Dealing with Conflict in Healthcare

Name

Institution
DEALING WITH CONFLICT IN HEALTHCARE 2

Dealing with Conflict in Healthcare

Introduction

Interpersonal difference, frequently resulting in aggression and cruelty is one of the

most intimidating challenges that nurses experience in their units and their divisional leaders.

Evidence from various sources indicates how nurse’s managers waste a lot of time handling

such issues. When employees in healthcare work together they sometimes face conflicts

which are as a result of aggressive nurses (Naumann, 2018). In any company, team work is

essential. However, the challenges of working together are extensive.

Output in hospitals requires the application of various professionals who work

together as a team through sharing facts. Nevertheless, not all employees in these hospitals

interact well due to conflicts. Since conflict in hospitals is inevitable, and the output depends

on the efforts of these professionals, conflict cannot only affect group work but can also

affect their efficiency when it comes o taking care of patients (Naumann, 2018). This paper

focuses on roles of nurse manager in solving interpersonal problems, steps in dealing with

these behaviours, effective people skills, impact of conflict, and positive and negative impact

of conflict and the methods of solving conflicts in healthcare.

Roles of Nurse Managers

In every institution where there are human resources, conflict always exists. People’s

views differ leading to miscommunication and disagreements. These misunderstandings lead

to conflict. The concern is not these disagreements but how managers handle these

situations. There are various strategies to deal with these disagreements which managers can

learn and master (Lahana et al., 2019). As a nurse manager, the following are the strategies of

dealing with interpersonal conflicts that affects Isaac and other employees.

Foremost, having a discussion with Isaac to work on his communication skills is

essential. The capacity of Isaac expressing himself clearly when interacting with his co-
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workers will allow him to say what is in his mind and his requirements thus avoiding

conflicts. It is also important for the nurse manager to handle this situation that results in

conflict rather than avoiding it (Lahana et al., 2019). Many healthcare professionals resign

instead of trying to solve the interpersonal disagreement at the workplace. Resigning however

is not the solution and it often results in a feeling of regret and blame.

As a nurse manager, informing other employees to understand Isaac and deal with this

issue will help reduce conflicts. Ignoring this issue will bring about increased frustrations and

unsettled feelings of resentment and violence. Nurse managers who handle interpersonal

conflicts effectively are always more contented and in good health mentally and physically.

As a result, other nurses in various departments will value, boost the manager’s self esteem

and enhance courage. It is also important for the nurse manager to find a mediator who can

professionally handle the interpersonal conflicts between Isaac and his colleagues if they both

agree (Özkan Tuncay, Yaşar, & Sevimligül, 2018). A mediator can be objective, pay

attention to both sides and smooth the progress of resolution and negotiation.

Steps in Dealing with Isaac Behaviours

It is evident that almost all managers have at least one member of staff who is

troublesome in the workplace. This is a nearly unavoidable part of a manager’s line of work.

The most regrettable thing is that most leaders in the organization get held hostage with these

employees wasting time, attention and emotional energy on them frequently hanging on the

verge to let them go but unable to get rid of them (Lahana et al., 2019). There are various

ways to deal with employees like Isaac.

First, it is important to pay attention to these employees. When employees are

troublesome, managers stop listening to them or what irritates them. To address this situation,

the nurse manager should pay attention to Isaac and understand what leads to his behaviour

and how to improve these problems (Forbat, Mnatzaganian, & Barclay, 2019). As a result,
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they may discover problems which are not related to employment and the ones that are

beyond the control of the employee that should be addressed. Second, the nurse manager

should give unambiguous behavioural response. This will help reduce an individual’s

defensiveness and offer them specific information they require for them to improve.

Additionally, documenting the important points when it comes to solving

interpersonal conflict is essential. Most managers do not document issues leading to

misplaced hopelessness. The best supervisors understand that putting these issues into writing

is not negative but it is cautious (Lahana et al., 2019). It is also important to set the

consequences if the employee does not change his behaviour. Finally, the nurse managers

should work through the policies of the healthcare system by being hopeful that the

employees will change (Forbat, Mnatzaganian, & Barclay, 2019). It is important to converse

with the human resource manager to understand what is required to clear the course to

termination if it turns out to be indispensable.

Developing People Skills

As a nurse manager it is important to inform Isaac that any work environment requires

interaction with other employees. Understanding how to communicate is an essential skill in

any profession. Isaac should know that whatever the case, he will be forced to interact with

his managers, colleagues and the patients effectively for him to be a successful nurse (Bovey-

Pilkington, & Pidgeon, 2018). The following are the strategies that can help Isaac develop

people skills and avoid interpersonal conflict.

Foremost, Isaac should show his colleagues that he is a sociable and nice being to

interact with by smiling while at the work place honestly. By smiling genuinely, Isaac will

show sincerity which will attract his fellow employees thus aiding in calming an otherwise

edgy conversation. It will also make the whole work setting pleasant (Bovey-Pilkington, &

Pidgeon, 2018). Second, Isaac should be willing to pay attention to the opinions of his
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colleagues by actively listening to them. He should show concern in what others have to say

by offering gestures of assertion when appropriate.

Additionally, he should exercise being empathetic by trying to see the issue from

other people’s perspective. This indicates that he understands the emotional and physical

influence that a certain situation may have on the individuals that he is interacting with.

Being empathetic goes a long way towards improving constructive and trusting relationship

with others (Özkan Tuncay, Yaşar, & Sevimligül, 2018). Additionally, Isaac should

appreciate the soundness in the positions and views of his colleagues. Showing that other

people can approach him conveys to his colleagues that he accepts their views and is willing

to analyze them on their own advantage (Bovey-Pilkington, & Pidgeon, 2018). This means

that Isaac will also recognize the weak spot in his opinion or where his position can be

improved by the input of other nurses. Ultimately, Isaac should not take himself seriously. He

should use self belittling humour and laugh at his errors with other nurses (Özkan Tuncay,

Yaşar, & Sevimligül, 2018). He should understand that one of the greatest challenges to

fruitful employment relationships is being viewed as an individual who is too strict to see the

absurdity in his personal failings.

Potential Effect of Conflict

Disagreements have negative effects on the performance, confidence and patient care.

They may lead to high staff turnover limiting the number of employees in the hospital. These

conflicts destruct employees from the duties they have ahead of them and poor

communication (DiBenigno, 2018). Lack of communication and sharing of ideas among

nurses among group members has negative consequences on the care of patients. Team

members therefore cannot approach other members and are not comfortable raising some

issues with these people.

Positive and Negative consequence of conflict

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Group work in organizations is becoming a tradition. However, challenges of

working in these groups such as conflicts cannot be avoided. In health care, nurses and

doctors come from different background and culture making conflict inevitable hence the

need for conflict management (DiBenigno, 2018). Positively, conflict in the healthcare unit

can boost professional knowledge which in turn results in improved quality care or

unconstructively as articulated by dysfunctional rapport between the group members and

little to no worry about the well being of patients (DiBenigno, 2018). The positive

consequence of these disagreements if found to improve group work through information

sharing and conversations which leads to better decision making and subsequently

performance. This happens when group members can separate their feelings and character

from the disagreement. Nevertheless, these feelings and character cannot be controlled over

time leading to unsustainable positive consequences. This usually starts with poor

communication among employees and affects their performance.

Because conflict is inevitable, the output of health care systems depends on group

work. Disagreements impede group work, minimize the efficiency of the team and affect the

care of patients. Nurses are the ones who experience these issues because they are the

ultimate line of treatment in healthcare (DiBenigno, 2018). Accomplishing a work

environment that supports team work needs an understanding of the roles on nurse manager

and how to solve these conflicts.

Strategy of Solving Conflict among Nurses

To handle this issue of attending to the request of each nurse, compromising conflict

management approach will be of importance. This approach leads to medium benefits by not

negatively affecting the nurses or doctors. Additionally, disagreements will not remain

unsolved as when evading, there are no noticeable winners at the cost of others. Here every

nurse gives in a little to come to a solution (Lahana et al., 2019). Whereas the level of
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feelings may still be high, this approach often leads to short-term resolutions when a full

resolution is not instantly possible. This approach stops additional rise of the conflict.

Conclusion

Disagreements are unavoidable in nature. It is an imperative concern within the

hospital setting worldwide. To conquer interpersonal disagreements in healthcare facilities

needs correct information and expertise for professionals to minimize its occurrence. This

paper has the strategies that nurse managers can use to handle conflicts among stuff members

to minimize destructive consequences. It is therefore essential for health care professionals to

establish positive relationship among themselves. Health care professionals can handle

conflicts effectively to produce constructive consequences for patients. It is therefore

recommended for these professionals to share information and use various conflict resolution

strategies such as compromising, avoiding or collaborating strategy.

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