Nursing Conflict Resolution

Running head: NURSING CONFLICT RESOLUTION
NURSING CONFLICT RESOLUTION
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

1NURSING CONFLICT RESOLUTION
Introduction
Health professionals like nurses and physicians are engaged in the noble cause of caring
and treating for individuals inflicted with disease conditions, along with assisting them in the
achievement of positive health outcomes. Despite the efficiency with which health professionals
are able to administer fulfilling recoveries among numerous patients, it is worthwhile to
remember that the incidences of conflicts are not uncommon with the healthcare scenario. Nurses
and physicians alike are required to adhere to variety of patients, each with their own set of
preferences, opinions, needs and cultural background (Raad et al., 2018). Coupled with such
varied complexities are the unpredictable and unprecedented needs of the patient which when not
mitigated promptly, can result in conflict. Conflicts due to differential opinions, levels of
expertise and competencies can also occur among health professionals (Greenfield, 2018). Lack
of timely and prompt resolution of conflicts can strain inter-professionals as well as nurse-patient
therapeutic relationships resulting in hindered teamwork, loss of deliverance of treatment
interventions of optimum quality, increased risk of medication errors and overall loss of patient
as well as staff working satisfaction. Hence, this necessitates nursing administration of
appropriate skills of leadership and management, which are considered essential prerequisites of
optimum conflict resolution (Forbat, Mnatzaganian & Barclay, 2019).
The following paper will focus upon personal experiences surrounding resolution of a
conflict situation at the clinical workplace. This paper will highlight briefly, a situation which
amounted to a state of conflict and loss of cordiality among nursing students, a patient, a general
practitioner and a registered nurse, along with the management and leadership styles utilized for
timely mitigation of the same. The following sections of the paper the highlight extensively on

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the outcomes and results so acquired due to administration of the above measures and a brief
discussion of the possible recommendations for future improve management of similar conflict
situations.
Discussion
Nursing Position
Prior to drawing light to the clinical situation which amounted to the conflict, this section
will focus upon a brief recapitulation, for ease in comprehension, of my personal nursing
position at the workplace along with those who played a salient role in the events that followed.
The conflict situation occurred at the existing healthcare organization, a hospital at the locality,
where I am currently working as an enrolled nursing student in the acute care department. The
organization provided surgical, critical as well as acute care services for the treatment of a
variety of acute and chronic illnesses. The organization also caters to variety of patients hailing
from various socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds, which is why, my work, often compels
me to encounter numerous ethnically diverse patients. My current unit, which is the acute care
department, functions as a bridge between critical care, emergency department and outpatient
and discharge services, and hence, is responsible for treating patients, who after undergoing
invasive or emergency treatments are still not fit to be discharged. Along with me, I am also
accompanied by two teammates – who are also enrolled nursing students from different
universities. Together, we function as a team and are required to adhere to Standard 5 of the
Standards of Practice established by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA),
which dictates us to work collaboratively with the Registered Nurse (RN), the patient as well as
the additional clinicians and health professionals employed in the healthcare team (Nursing and

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Midwifery Board of Australia, 2019). Hence, as per the same, we are required to report to our
RN everyday and assist her in administering medications, monitoring and documenting the
patient handovers, communicating with the patient and relaying the information to any health
professional who may be involved in the care plan of a patient.
Events
The conflict event occurring at my workplace, involved me, my nursing team, the
registered nurse whom we report to, a culturally diverse patient and the associated general
practitioner. After reaching out workstation one day, me and my enrolled nursing teammates
were instructed by our reporting RN to address a patient while she will be joining us shortly
after interacting with another patient who had just arrived from the emergency ward. The patient
whom we were required to report to, was a 65 year old man, an Italian immigrant who was not
very fluent in English, and had arrived from the critical care unit two days ago. Upon arriving at
the patient’s room, as me and my teammates were evaluating the handover from last night, the
patient began to complain of a slight chest pain. While we were almost on the verge of inquiring
with our RN, the general practitioner (GP) of the patient arrived who immediately instructed us
to administer analgesics intravenously, at dosages which seemed to be extremely high as
compared to the evidence based recommendations which we had studied. While my teammates
seemed fearful and were willing to proceed with the same, I believed that I must adhere to
Standards 8 and 9, which guide enrolled nurses to practice nursing care which is evidence based
and is alignment to standards of quality and safety (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia,
2019). Further, considering the cultural background of the patient, I also felt that we must at least
communicate with the patent in a culturally competent manner to appropriately understand his
needs rather than simply administering an intervention without consent. This prompted me to