Claudia 

A Nurse Managers Role in Resolving Conflict

Oct 01, 2024

This situation can be referred to as task-based conflict. Task-based conflict occurs when the group has a difference about how a particular task should be performed or what course of action to take. In this case, there is a conflict between the primary nurse and the physician about appropriate interventions to relieve the patient’s pain (Greer et al., 2022). For example, a nurse caring for a patient for two shifts thinks the pain medication is inadequate. On the other hand, the physician sees no problem with the current medication and claims it is sufficient. This type of conflict relates to the practitioner’s opinions about the best course of treatment for the patient and not to issues that have to do directly with managing the patient’s pain after surgery, which is a therapeutic issue (Parreira et al., 2021). A learned combination of conflict and collaboration is common in interdisciplinary teams in healthcare, where different professions offer different angles and specializations in caring for patients.

The collaborative style is one of several conflict management styles that may have been suitable for AM during the interaction. In this style, the AM would help create a scene where the nurse and physician articulate their concerns in detail and any possible recommendations for resolving the dispute (Delak & Širok, 2022). AM might gently tell the physician that the nurse’s interpretations deserve another look without completely dismissing the nurse’s suggestions. Since this competitive manner works toward a solution acceptable to the AM and the physician, it could help provide more comprehensive patient care. According to Ramsay et al. (2021), poor conflict management in healthcare could result in postponing decision-making, leading to unnecessary and sometimes prolonged suffering for the patient or worsening of the condition and lower employee satisfaction and, therefore, lower staff retention as unresolved disputes create aggravation and then lead to burnout, which in turn distorts the work of the entire team and patient care.

Complexity leadership relates to adaptation and fluidity in leadership structures within rapidly changing environments, especially in the case of healthcare institutions. It contributes to quality and safety by supporting problem-solving-based teamwork while allowing managers to address the ambiguities of clinical environments. Staff engagement and communication channels are two key factors that play an important role in disseminating, maintaining, and expanding quality initiatives (Belrhiti et al., 2024). Staff engagement makes it likely that people will take action to ensure quality improvements endure while communication channels move information, even when critical and efficient. Changing these factors includes establishing open environments where staff voices are heard and regular feedback systems, thus fostering an evolving organizational culture with a focus on patient safety.