CONFLICT

RESOLUTION
Sherry Dahlke PhD, RN, GNC(C)

& Gillian Lemermeyer, RN, PhD

NURS 400 class 10

Learning outcomes

■ Explain conflict styles

■ Explore individual skills that can be developed to acknowledge and address conflict
■ Identify sources of conflict
■ Describe connection of relational leadership and conflict resolution
Conflict

■ A disagreement about something of importance to each person involved

■ Whenever there is a possibility for disagreement, there is potential for conflict
■ Types of conflict
– Intrapersonal- an internal conflict
– Interpersonal- two people or between work teammates
– Organizational- can be a healthy way of introducing new ideas, and encouraging
creativity
Sources of Conflict

■ Allocation/availability of resources
■ Personality differences
■ Differences in values
■ Internal/external pressures
■ Cultural differences
■ Competition
■ Differences in goals
■ Issues of personal/professional control
Pair and Share

■ Talk about a conflict you had recently ….. What was the source of it?
Conflict process

■ Need to assess the conflict before intervening

■ 1) Latent conflict (antecedent conditions)
■ 2) Perceived conflict (issues and roles)
■ 3) Felt conflict (emotions)
■ 4) Overt conflict (when action is taken)
■ 5) Conflict aftermath

■ Ideally we want a win-win solution in a conflict

Conflict resolution approaches
■ Avoiding- ignoring the issue -a common technique either conscious or unconscious (lose-
lose)
■ Accommodating- is often call cooperating - stakes not high people (lose to win)
■ Competing- produces a winner and a loser. When time is short this may be used. People
may consider that the decision was forced. (win at all costs)
■ Compromising- is good for minor conflicts that cannot be resolved satisfactory from either
side (split the diference)
■ Collaborating- occurs when both sides work together to develop a mutually acceptable
outcome (win-win)
■ Negotiating- requires careful communication and highly developed skills
■ Confronting- is when both parties are brought together, the issues clarified and some
outcome is achieved.
Examples of the types of conflict
management
■ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiqbmuXAc0g
Take a few minutes to find out your
conflict management style?
■ https://www.tryinteract.com/quiz/what-s-your-conflict-management-style/
Strategies to facilitate conflict resolution

■ Open, honest communication

■ Private, relaxed, comfortable setting for discussion
■ Expectation of compliance to results by both sides
Effective ways of conflict resolution
■ Use “I” Statements 
– Speak from your experiences. 
– Each person is an expert of their own experiences. 
■ Challenge the idea, not the person. 
– It’s okay to disagree. Focus on the ideas expressed and any underlying assumptions, the
dynamics of power and oppression and values reflected in statements by asking questions. 
– Avoid personal attacks and judgment. 
– Do not demean, devalue, or “put down” people for their experiences, lack of experiences, or
difference in interpretation of those experiences. 
■ Our primary commitment is to learn from each other. 
– Listen to each other and not talk at each other. 
– Acknowledge differences in backgrounds, skills, and values. Realize that it is these very
differences that will increase our awareness and understanding through this process.
Feedback to improve team performance

Formal Informal
■ Retrospective, scheduled in advance ■ In real time
■ Evaluative ■ Ongoing
■ Collaborative discussions, case ■ Focuses on knowledge and practical
conferences, individual performance skills
reviews
■ Huddles, debriefs
Characteristics of effective feedback

■ Timely
■ Respectful
■ Specific
■ Directed towards improvement
– Helps prevent the same problem from occurring in the future
■ Considerate
Advocacy and Assertion

Advocate Assert
■ Advocate for the patient ■ Assertion is a corrective action in a
firm and respectful manner
■ Invoked when team members’
viewpoints don’t coincide with that ■ Two-challenge rule
of a decision maker
■ CUS
■ DESC script
DESC script

■ Describe the specific situation or behaviour; provide concrete data

■ Express how the situation makes you feel/what your concerns are 
■ Suggest other alternatives and seek agreement
■ Consequences should be stated in terms of impact on established team goals: strive for
consensus 

■ https://www.patientsafetyinstitute.ca/en/education/TeamSTEPPS/TeamSTEPPS-Canada-
Curriculum/Documents/Module%206/TeamSTEPPS%20Canada%20Module%206%20
Mutual%20Support%20-%20Slide%20Deck.pdf#search=DESC
In your group
■ You have just finished your OR orientation and are scrubbing for the first time
independently. You hand the surgeon a suture and they throw the instrument back at you
yelling “That is the wrong suture! Are you incompetent?”
■ Discuss how you could respond to this situation to resolve the conflict.
■ https://padlet.com/dahlke3/5vjd5v1j4fyi27ro
Bullying

■ Includes verbal abuse, threats of harm, continual criticism, demeaning remarks,

intimidation, undermining, refusing to cooperate, being unavailable to give assistance,
hampering another’s performance and making their work difficult
■ Results in stress, anxiety, lower job satisfaction
Conflict management

■ Leadership and management roles

– Distinguish constructive conflict from destructive conflict
■ Model conflict resolution behaviours
■ Lessen perceptual differences of parties
■ Assist parties to identify resolution techniques
■ Create an environment conducive to conflict resolution
■ If conflict cannot be resolved minimize or lessen the perceptions of conflicting parties
Styles of leadership

■ Authentic- encourages openness in sharing information needed to make decisions

while accepting follower’s input
■ Resonant- minimizes the emotional impact of change and is able to effectively manage
their own emotions and develop relationships with others
■ Congruent- emotional intelligence particularly related to interpersonal relationships,
integrity and communication
■ Relational- focuses attention on the interplay between intrapersonal, intrapersonal, and
contextual elements; critically considers these elements and responds within that
convergence to promote positive outcomes.
The conflict scenario

■ You are on a placement on an orthopedic unit.  Your patient fell during the night at her
residence in a long-term care center and fractured her hip. Her son comes in to visit. He
is upset - has a red face and is yelling at you to put physical restraints on her so that this
does not happen again. There is a no- restraint policy in the hospital. You go to double
check with the manager and they confirm you must adhere to protocol. You head back
to deliver the news and see the family member You are concerned about patient and
staff safety. How, or will you address this conflict?
 Conflict Management Strategy
Steps Discuss and Record Say and Record
(Try OBEFA/CUS/CORBS)
Specify your concern  How will you do this?
Who will you approach?
Any helpful communication tools e.g.
OBEFA?

Clarify your differences Where do you and the individual/team

disagree? What are some reasons there
would be disagreement?
What are other perspectives?
What are competing priorities?

 
Agree on commonalities Where do both/all agree?
What is a shared goal? common priority?

We agree that …
Resolve conflict What are the next steps?
What action can be taken to manage the
issue?
 

Normalize How can you normalize the issue? How does  

this conflict provide an opportunity?