A healthcare facility is designed to have different ranks in terms of the level of professionalism. In this case, nurses, administrators, and physicians work together to execute the designated healthcare roles; however, their job description is entirely based on professional training. In most cases, the professional disparity that exists between nurses and their administrators or physicians has contributed to critical challenges emanating from social dynamics that eventually affect the quality of care that patients receive in a facility (Bartunek, 2011; Eagar et al., 2010 ) . This excerpt evaluates a case example of a professional conflict that existed between nurses and administrators in a familiar health care facility.
Overview of the Conflict
One day during a normal routine in a healthcare facility I was volunteering (name withheld), nurses held a brief meeting, and they were concerned with how the administrators were reluctant to address their concerns. The nurses pointed out how for a long time there had been a tendency where the administrators held a meeting to determine the challenges that the nurses faced and ask for recommendations, but ended up doing the contrary and ignoring how such a move impacted their professional commitment. Such actions by the administrators were considered as undermining the role and contributions of nurses toward quality care and improving patient experience. The conflict between the nurses and the administrators was critical because that day they were not willing to undertake their routine duties until they have a long-lasting ‘moving-forward’ strategy that will see each party given the opportunity in the decision process. The scenario was not new to me because the intergroup conflict in healthcare is a common phenomenon and I had heard about it and its adverse impacts on patients’ experience, professional development, teamwork, and quality of service.
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Stages of Conflict as Manifested in the Case Example
Conflict occurs in stages, and each level manifests itself in different ways. However, as the conflict advances from one level to another, it becomes complex to resolve the existing problem. The first stage of a conflict as identified by Finkelman (2016) is the latent conflict stage. At this level, the parties involved only anticipate the existence of the conflict because of inadequate resources or communication deficiencies. During this stage, the anticipations could lead to tension, which when not addressed, the conflict advances to the next stage of the perceived conflict. In this case example, the nurses started feeling that a problem could emanate from the limited collaboration between the unit administrators and the nurses in the facility during decision processes. When they thought it would subside with time, the situation only got worse since when they tried to raise the issue, they did not receive any attention and the conflict advanced into the second stage. According to Finkelman (2016), the second stage is characterized by conflict awareness.
The third level is the felt conflict state where the parties involved start to have emotional expression regarding the occurrence. In this case, members could feel stressed, angered, or disappointed. The use of avoidance is important and could mitigate the tension; however, covering the challenges caused by the conflict or shunning away from it does not solve the issue at hand. Based on this case example, the nurses were angry and disappointed why they are being neglected by the same leaders who are supposed to champion for their workplace comfort and development of a collaboration culture. Since there were no immediate interventions, the conflict advanced into the final position, which is the manifest conflict stage. The nurses decided to stay away from their official duty and demanded a proper deliberation on how the matter could be resolved. By refraining from usual duties, the nurses jeopardized the safety of patients and the process of healthcare service delivery. According to Finkelman (2016), during the fourth stage, it is important to encourage and support the parties to enter into a resolution process. However, if such considerations are not undertaken, then there is a high chance of the conflict resulting in adverse implications. The nurses decided to assemble while waiting for their unit administrators to have a constructive discussion on the way forward.
Role of Collaboration and Leadership in the Case Example
Collaboration and leadership are essential as measures that could be used to prevent, mitigate, or resolve conflict (Finkelman, 2016). In healthcare, intergroup conflict is bound to take place; however, teamwork and effective leadership provide a framework that could be used to identify the onset of conflict and prevent it from escalating. In this case example, the facility manager decided to intervene and requested the nurses to resume their duties but appoint representatives who will attend an emergency meeting together with the unit administrators. The manager also included other parties such as the physicians even though they were not part of the conflict. Such a move showed how leadership is critical in initiating a resolution process while at the same time mitigating the potential risks that could originate from the manifest stage. However, from my perspective, the conflict in this case example between the nurses and the unit administrators could have been prevented if there was proper a communication channel that allows strategic identification and mitigation of a cropping problem.
Best Strategy and Rationale
Conflicts in healthcare, especially among practitioners, is a critical occurrence that could jeopardize the quality of service (Bartunek, 2011; Haslam et al., 2008) . The process of enhancing the quality of patient experiences depends on the collaboration between the nurses and their seniors in term of professional level. The best strategy that could be used in this case is through sensitization and education on the role of collaboration, leadership, and communication in a healthcare setting to enhance professional success among practitioners. Education interventions that are focused on the role of teamwork and its impact on performance and personal development as well as on workplace culture and patient outcomes could ensure such conflicts will be mitigated. The justification of this strategy is based on the nature of the conflict, which emanated from profession-based limitations. The administrators considered themselves superior than nurses, which created a feeling of being neglected during decision-making processes, especially on matters that concerned their working conditions.
Conclusion
In conclusion, conflicts start as simple perceptions that advance into critical occurrences that could affect the relationship among individuals or a group of people. Based on the case example used in this analysis, proper management of conflict, especially in healthcare settings, should be geared towards prevention or its identification at an early stage. However, in case it occurs, the conflict resolution process should involve all stakeholders and parties involved to not only ensure the restoration of harmony but also to guarantee the reoccurrence of similar conflicts in the future.
References
Bartunek, J. M. (2011). Intergroup relationships and quality improvement in healthcare. BMJ quality & safety , 20 Suppl 1 (Suppl_1): i62 – i66.
Eagar, S. C., Cowin, L. S., Gregory, L., & Firtko, A. (2010). The scope of practice conflict in nursing: a new war or just the same battle? Contemp Nurse , 36: 86-95.
Finkelman, (2016). Chapter 13 - Improving Teamwork: Collaboration, Coordination, and Conflict Resolution, In, Negotiation and Conflict Resolution , pp. 324-333.
Haslam, C., Holme, A., Haslam, S. A., et al. (2008). Maintaining group memberships: social identity continuity predicts well-being after stroke . Neuropsychol Rehabil , 18 : 671 – 691
