Conflict is an issue that takes place in every organization. Conflict is the consequences…

Conflict is an issue that takes place in every organization. Conflict is the consequences of experienced or perceived variations in common goals, values, ideas, attitudes, beliefs, feelings, or actions (Higazee, 2015, p. 2). Conflict can especially be seen in a health care environment, as human interactions occur continuously. Examples of interactions include physicians and patients, physician and nurses, administration and staff, between the different inpatient units, and between different hospital departments. The varying types of conflicts may occur between the aforementioned groups are
Conflict is an issue that takes place in every organization. Conflict is the consequences of experienced or perceived variations in common goals, values, ideas, attitudes, beliefs, feelings, or actions (Higazee, 2015, p. 2). Conflict can especially be seen in a health care environment, as human interactions occur continuously. Examples of interactions include physicians and patients, physician and nurses, administration and staff, between the different inpatient units, and between different hospital departments. The varying types of conflicts may occur between the aforementioned groups are intrapersonal conflict, interpersonal conflict, intragroup conflict, competitive conflict, and disruptive conflict. Intrapersonal conflict involves conflict within an individual. This type of conflict may occur in nurses at the start of their shift, as they determine which patient to assess first. This type of conflict requires prioritization skills. Nurses can think back to their fundamentals and plan the order of their care based on physiological needs first, followed by safety needs, then belongings, and so on. Interpersonal conflict involves conflict between two or more individuals. This type of conflict is currently occurring at my organization between nursing staff and EVS staff. EVS staff have reduced their roles to strictly cleaning of the surfaces of patient rooms following a discharge. Their expectation for nursing staff is to strip the room completely of supplies, all the way down to removing linen off of the patient beds and pillows. Nursing staff already have a full work, and this is just one more thing added. This creates a rift between the two departments, especially when EVS staff reports nursing staff if they room has not been stripped timely. This type of conflict resolution requires both departments to understand the roles of one another, to be understanding, and to be a team player. Intragroup conflict involves conflict between two or more groups. In a health care setting, intragroup conflicts may occur when groups are attempting to accomplish a task. For example, all staff involved in a code working together to resuscitate a patient. Staff who report to a code include, and are not limited to, the patients primary care provider, the bedside nurse, an intensivist, a critical care nurse, a respiratory therapist, a pharmacist, security, and a chaplain. However, not everyone who reports to a code actually participate in it. This leads to extra bodies and voices. Conflict may arise when there is a difference in functional understanding. Its important that roles and expectations are established before the code begins. At my organization, there are roles written out on badges that one staff member will hand out to those participating in the code. This way, everyone knows what their role is and the expectation of others. Disruptive conflict occurs when an individual attempts to defeat another. Disruptive conflict is most known to occur between a disruptive physician and a nurse. Hodge (2020) references The Court in Gordon v. Lewistowndefining a disruptive physician as one who is unruly, contentious, threatening, unreachable, insulting and frequently litigious (p. 128). Disruptive physicians are those who willingly choose not to follow the rules or establish working relationships. Even for the single episodes of disruptive behavior, health care leader must still address it, as this can potentially lead to ongoing disruptive behaviors. Hospitals and employers need to set the expectation for their employees to take accountability at maintaining a professional relationship with everyone they encounter. Many hospitals provide this information during the onboarding process, requiring staff to sign an agreement to professionalism, and mandate that physicians exhibit a minimum level of acceptable behavior towards coworkers and patients (Hodge, 2020, p. 137). When physicians violate this contract, hospitals have the ability to terminate or deny privileges to the physicians. Conflict can lead to a hostile environment, low morale, low productivity, and essentially poor patient care. Therefore, it is critical for health care leaders to implement effective conflict management strategies to decrease conflict within their organization. It will also be beneficial to emphasize the importance of collaboration and communication. References Hodge Jr., S. D. (2020). What can be done about a disruptive physician? A legal analysis. Pace Law Review, 40(1), 123-153. https://lopes.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ofs&AN=141394179&site=ehost-live&scope=site Higazee, Manal Z. A. (2015). Types and levels of conflicts experienced by nurses in the hospital settings. Health Science Journal, 9(6:7), 1-6. https://www.hsj.gr/medicine/types-and-levels-of-conflicts-experienced-by-nurses-in-the-hospital-settings.pdf