Workplace Safety: Incident Report and Conflict Resolution

This essay analyses a case study of Shannon and Jennifer regarding workplace safety and conflict resolution. It includes an incident report, formal and informal procedures to deal with conflict, and recommendations to foster resilience in future placements. The essay also discusses the importance of reflection, supervision, mindfulness, and experiential learning in building resilience.

Workplace Safety

Contents
Incident report......................................................................................................................................3
Work Health & Safety.......................................................................................................................5
Introduction..........................................................................................................................................5
Analysis of the case study..............................................................................................................5
Day 1 5
Day 2 5
Day 3 6
Formal and informal procedures to deal with the conflict...............................................................7
Early Intervention at the Lowest Level......................................................................................7
Informal Complaint and Negotiation.........................................................................................7
Formal Complaint and Mediation..................................................................................................8
Recommendations to foster Shannon's resilience in future placements.........................................8
Reflection..........................................................................................................................................8
Supervision........................................................................................................................................9
Mindfulness.......................................................................................................................................9
Experiential learning.......................................................................................................................9
Conclusion.............................................................................................................................................9
References.............................................................................................................................................9

Incident report
Nature/Type of Incident/Event: Behavioural disconduct
Description of the incident:
On second day of my placement Jennifer called me young Padawan and said that I have so
much to learn which I find an ageist comment and stereotyping. Later in the day,
while looking after the patient at Bed 1, on being asked a question i answered that
question in detail to which Jennifer passed an ambiguous compliment that I am a
walking text book and added well done. I find it sarcastic. On Day 3 I found that one
of the patient’s allocated to me and Jennifer was non-responsive and not breathing,
so i pushed the emergency call bell and initiated the CPR as per the protocols.
Senior Doctor, RN and Jennifer reached the cubicle at the same time and Jennifer
asked me “What have you done? And she did not give me the chance to explain the
situation and asked me to finish the cycle of compressions, step back and said that
they'll handle the situation. I did as asked, stood back and observed the
resuscitation. In addition, Jennifer did not invite me to the clinical debrief on that day.
I feel this behavior from Jennifer’s side is condescending and I feel bullied.
Brief description of injury/illness:
I felt stressed, bullied and a victim of discrimination due to Jennifer’s behaviour.
Did the person receive treatment following the injury/illness:
Person(s) who saw the incident or first came to the scene:
Action taken / intended, if any, to prevent recurrence of the incident:
None
Describe any longer term action proposed to prevent a recurrence:
(Manager)
Contributing factors:
Were issues related to
patient ID or patient
factors (Manager)
Were issues related to
staffing levels, training
or competency?
(Manager)
Was equipment (or use/lack
of use) a factor?
(Manager)
Was the environment a
factor? (Manager)
Were appropriate policies or
procedures or lack
thereof a factor?

(Manager)
Was the failure of a safety
mechanism or barrier
designed to protect the
patient/staff a factor?
(Manager)
Was communication a factor?
(Manager)
Signed:
(Worker)
Date:
Signed:
(Manager)
Date:

Work Health & Safety
Introduction
As per Australian legislations, the employer is under the obligation under Occupational
Health and Safety and anti-discrimination laws to keep a safe workplace
(Queensland Government, 2018). This assignment is prepared to analyse a case
study of Shannon and Jennifer regarding workplace safety. Shannon Doe is a third
year undergraduate nurse on clinical placement at Charles Darwin University
Hospital ED and her preceptor is Jennifer. An incident report form and a critical
analysis of the case study is provided in the essay. Further, the formal and informal
procedures of conflict resolution that can be adopted by Shannon and Jennifer are
also stated and discussed. Next, recommendations to build Shannon’s resilience in
future placements are also listed.
Analysis of the case study
Day 1
On Day 1, Jennifer talked about giving introducing Shannon around and starting the
orientation. She also passed on the log in details to Shannon of the tea room
computer which had self-directed learning modules on WHS, infection control,
mandatory reporting and aggression management. Shannon was not approached by
Jennifer after that for the rest of the day. Jennifer mentioned that they were short
staffed. It can be said that Jennifer could not play the role of Shannon’s preceptor
adequately but the reason of incompetency should be dealt at personal and
organizational level. As Jennifer’s incompetency is less attitudinal and more

situational. Since the ED was short staffed, Jennifer will have to priorities her duties
and the clinical duties will be given preference over her mentoring responsibilities.
Therefore, it can be said that organisations involved in placement duties must be
careful while allocating responsibilities to their nurses as it can hinder their
performances as nurses and preceptors. Shannon should not feel neglected or
useless as Jennifer provided her the details of the self-directed modules which can
make Shannon’s day productive on a short staffed day.
Day 2
On Day 2, Jennifer enquired about Shannon’s previous day after greeting her and
handing over. However, Jennifer called Shannon young Padawan and said that she
has much to learn. Shannon perceived this comment as ageist and stereotyping. The
professional conduct demands the professionals to be fair and non-discriminatory
towards other people. Even though, Jennifer’s comments seemed unintentional but
even passing judgmental comments unknowingly will be regarded under
discrimination and sexist. Since, Jennifer is senior to Shannon, older in age and has
more authority, her Padawan comment felt like an ageist comment to Shannon.
While looking after the patient at Bed 1, on being asked a question Shannon
answered that question in detail to which Jennifer passed an ambiguous compliment
that she is a walking text book and added well done. Shannon found that comment
sarcastic which is a possibility depending on the tone and thought process of
Jennifer. Jennifer should have understood that its Shannon’s first day at practice so,
she wanted to demonstrate her knowledge and make an impression and passing a
comment which could be taken in double meaning can be hard-hitting and

discouraging. If Jennifer’s intention was to praise Shannon’s academic knowledge,
she should have chosen her words more carefully.
For Bed 2 incident, Jennifer’s action were the need of time as the boy’s condition was
worsening but her attitude could have been more compassionate so that Shannon
did not feel dismissed.
Day 3
Day 3 incident indicates that one of the patient’s allocated to Shannon was non-responsive
and not breathing. She pushed the emergency call bell and initiated the CPR as per
the protocols. Senior Doctor, RN and Jennifer reached the cubicle at the same time
and Jennifer asked Shannon “What have you done? And did not give the chance to
Shannon to explain the situation and asked her to finish the cycle of compressions,
step back and said that they'll handle the situation. Shannon did as asked, stood
back and observed the resuscitation. In addition, Jennifer did not invite Shannon to
the clinical debrief. It can be concurred that Jennifer’s attitude was condescending as
Shannon’s actions are backed up by the protocols and she was not doing anything
wrong. However, Jennifer indirectly accused her wronging, did not give a chance to
explain herself and disdained her instead of appreciating her presence of mind and
taking the required steps in a proper manner. It is only obvious that Shannon would
feel bullied, unappreciated and discriminated after the series of incidents.
Formal and informal procedures to deal with the conflict
In Australia, the organizations have a duty of care for the health and wellbeing of the
employees whilst at work. Organizations which avoid the incidents of bullying and

allow bullying to take place in their premise are not fulfilling the duty and can face
legal action.
A strategic approach can be taken for conflict resolution. The goals of the approach should
be to intervene as early as possible and find out the source of the conflict between
Shannon and Jennifer and all the possible solutions prior to decision-making. The
issue between Jennifer and Shannon should be dealt in a manner that will stand the
test of time so it does not raise again. The conflict resolution strategy should exhibit
mutual respect for both the employees and they should be able to get back to work
quickly.
Informal procedures
Early Intervention at the Lowest Level
It is significant that every manager and every employee is empowered and trained to
find out if they or others are involved in a conflict. They should be prepared to pause
and investigate the occurrences of conflict. In this case, since Shannon is not a full
time worker and a placement, the unit manager should do an early assessment to
ascertain if there is a chance for dialogue and resolution. Manager should identify if
this is a simple conflict which does not need formality and can be resolved with basic
problem-solving abilities at the ground levels of the hospital. This informal procedure
is based on the notion that immediate and calm discussion can clear the air between
Jennifer and Shannon. However, the manager must classify the small conflict
carefully as majorly misunderstandings, misinterpretations, and incorrect
assumptions come under small conflicts. This procedure only needs fundamental

training of all the workers. Early intervention is cost-effective and quick method to
help resolve the conflict between Shannon and Jennifer.
Informal Complaint and Negotiation
if the dialogue and resolution technique is not appropriate for Shannon and
Jennifer’s case, an informal negotiation is another informal procedure which can be
considered. In this procedure, Shannon and Jennifer take the time to discuss the
matter in private. This informal procedure is based on the notion that this approach
will help the people involved in conflict to be calm and view the problem more
objectively. Shannon and Jennifer will ask certain questions during negotiation which
are, What do we know? How do we feel about it? What would it mean if we tried it a
certain way? What do we need to do to get this resolved? By exchanging all the
information, misunderstandings can be cleared up frequently. Post this meeting, a
good and long-lasting decision can be made and agreed to by Shannon and
Jennifer. This process is more time consuming but an agreed-upon decision will
save time and cost in the long-run.
Informal Mediation
If Shannon and Jennifer are unable to resolve by dialogue and informal negotiation,
then a mediation is required. A well-trained HR professional or an external person
can be the mediator. The idea of this procedure is to utilise the resources of a third
party to come to an agreement that will be suitable for both Shannon and Jennifer.

Informal mediation can be guided by the hospital policies to apply a solution that will
allow Jennifer and Shannon to walk away understanding that the issue is resolved.
Formal Complaint and Mediation
If the formal procedure is adopted then a complaint is registered and documented
with HR and that induces a process to examine the complaint and ascertain a
suitable resolution. Formal procedure may involve an an external investigator and/or
mediator. After Shannon registered a complain and it is investigated, it is still up to
the employer to decide further actions that are required to ensure a positive work
environment, which may include a formal mediation, an authority making a decision,
additional training, repositioning, revisions to tasks, and even termination.
Recommendations to foster Shannon's resilience in future placements
After the resolution of this incident, it is essential that Shannon builds resilience so that she
can handle such incidents in a more suitable way. Evidence support the existence of
relationship between psychological empowerment, resilience, spiritual well-being and
academic success which can contribute towards continuation through the challenges
of nursing training (Beauvais, Stewart, DeNisco, & Beauvais, J. E., 2014). Resilience
is a fundamental characteristic that is required for success in any field in an
individual’s life. Fostering resilience in nursing students will not only help the
students in course completion but also in nursing practice (Boardman, 2016).
Evidence further indicates that resilience is a constant and situational process that
can be learnt and built, instead of a static personality trait (Reyes, Andrusyszyn,
Iwasiw, Forchuk, & Babenko‐Mould, 2015). Certain evidence-based strategies are
recommended to foster resilience in Shannon.

Reflection
The practice of reflection will help Shannon to understand the dynamics of her emotional
reactions and her doubts, assumptions and beliefs, together with the manner in
which they can influence her wellbeing and practice (Clements, Kinman & Guppy,
2014). Narrative writing should be adopted by Shannon to enhance the competency
of reflection (Foster & McKenzie, 2012).
Supervision
Shannon can develop reflective learning through supervision as it offers a safe environment
in which she can reflect on her practice and disclose and discuss her emotional
reactions. Reflective supervision will assist her in forming a flexible range of
problem-solving and coping techniques and create a goal-oriented perspective,
which are essential pillars of resilience. Shannon must be made to understand the
purpose of the supervision and must be made aware about the need to be
adequately prepared and dedicated to pursue personal and professional
development which is supported by third NMBA standard which encourages nurses
to use a lifelong learning approach for continuing professional development of self
and others (NMBA, 2016). It is suggested that a productive educational environment
for supporting resilience should reinforce efficient social connection with peers and
must include positive mentoring and coaching strategies.

Mindfulness
Mindfulness indicates paying attention in a specific way: on purpose, in the present
moment, and non-judgmentally. Mindfulness skills can improve various
competencies that foster resilience, which are reflective ability, emotional intelligence
and accurate empathy (Grant & Kinman, 2014).
Experiential learning
Experiential learning is also a method which can increase the competencies related to
emotional resilience. For example, case studies, role plays and simulated practice
can be utilized to enhance the regulation of emotions, ability to reflect, emotional
intelligence and empathy (Hurley & Linsley, 2018). It is evidenced that work-based
learning opportunities can offer opportunities which will help Shannon to build the
competencies that reinforce resilience. Workplace learning specifically case studies
to enable dialogue and reflection has huge potential to increase emotion
management ability and the correct use of emotions to assist problem-solving and
decision-making (Beddoe, Davys & Adamson, 2013). Effective emotion management
skills are basic components of emotional resilience.
Conclusion
By analyzing Shannon and Jennifer’s case study, it can be concluded that inappropriate
gestures from an individual can harass other individual’s psychological health. Like,
due to Jennifer’s unsuitable comments, Shannon felt bullied at her workplace.
Further, depending upon the severity of the conflict and severity of its outcome and
agreement between the disputing parties, formal and informal conflict resolution
procedures can be adopted to resolve a dispute. Further, it is essential for nurses to

build resilience in them to achieve a healthy and efficient practice which can be done
through reflection, mindfulness, experiential learning and supervision.
References
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Education, 32(1), 100-117.
Beauvais, A. M., Stewart, J. G., DeNisco, S., & Beauvais, J. E. (2014). Factors related to
academic success among nursing students: A descriptive correlational research
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Boardman, L. (2016). Building resilience in nursing students: Implementing techniques to
foster success. International Journal of Emergency Mental Health and Human
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Clements, A. J., Kinman, G., & Guppy, A. (2014). ‘You Could Damage Somebody's Life’:
Student and Lecturer Perspectives on Commitment. Social Work Education, 33(1),
91-104.
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Publishing.
Grant, L., & Kinman, G. (2014). Emotional resilience in the helping professions and how it
can be enhanced. Health and Social Care Education, 3(1), 23-34.
Hurley, J., & Linsley, P. (2018). Emotional intelligence in health and social care: a guide for
improving human relationships. Routledge.
Queensland Government. (2018, July 2). Workplace health and safety laws. Retrieved from
https://www.worksafe.qld.gov.au/laws-and-compliance/workplace-health-and-safety-
laws
Reyes, A. T., Andrusyszyn, M. A., Iwasiw, C., Forchuk, C., & Babenko‐Mould, Y. (2015).
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