Speaker 1: Today, I will be discussing conflict management in healthcare. The goal for today's presentation is to provide education on how to identify, prevent, and defuse conflict quickly and effectively in the healthcare environment. The objectives are to discuss the types of conflict that occur in a healthcare setting, describe different conflict management styles, implement strategies on how to prevent conflict in the workplace, discuss the impact that conflict has on healthcare and the healthcare environment, and discuss the nurse's role in improving the healthcare environment. Topic discussed in this presentation today is conflict management in healthcare. As healthcare professionals, it is important to educate ourselves on the importance of effective conflict management strategies and understand what issues most commonly cause conflict in the healthcare environment. How is conflict management relevant to nursing? Well, nurses essentially are at the forefront of the healthcare system. Oftentimes, nurses are the middleman between physicians, respiratory therapists, physical therapists, and all other members of a patient's treatment team. In saying this, we oversee all aspects of a patient's care, and it is important to be diligent when approaching situations or ideas that do not contribute to the safety and well-being of the healthcare environment. Nurses are responsible for advocating for patients and fellow nurses, so it is important that we understand how to support and defend our patients and coworkers in a healthy, productive way. With experience, we develop appropriate conflict resolution strategies and problem-solving abilities that allow us to keep the healthcare environment safe, positive, and encouraging for everyone. So, by learning conflict management strategies, we can improve quality of care and patient safety, build relationships and improve communication, limit toxicity in the work environment, prevent nurse burnout and limit work stress, and increase patient satisfaction. So what is conflict management? Conflict management is a term that describes the process of identifying and approaching conflict in a way that is effective and promotes useful, desirable outcomes. The high-stress environment that is most often seen in healthcare directly relates to the large number of healthcare workers who report frequently experiencing some form of conflict. According to the Mayo Clinic, a majority of healthcare professionals have witnessed disrupted behaviors or perceived conflicts on a weekly basis. In the United States, 20% of residents reported serious conflicts with other staff members. So the Mayo Clinic conducted a study where they interviewed randomly selected healthcare professionals. Participants in the study related stories of team conflicts that they had experienced and the perceived consequences for patient care. So based on participants' assessments of 130 conflict stories, it showed that more than four out of 10 team conflict stories had potential consequences for patient care. So that's almost 50%. Potential perceived consequences that they found in this study were care not provided in a timely manner, so delays in care, delays in discharges, care not being patient-centered, and less efficient care. The most common types of conflict that occur in the healthcare setting are interpersonal, interpersonal, intragroup, and intergroup. Interpersonal conflict occurs within the person and is most often seen when there is an ethical concern, a work-life imbalance, or uncertainty about an individual's role. Interpersonal conflict takes place between two individuals and usually involves significant bitterness and dissatisfaction. Causes of interpersonal conflict include differences in personal values and beliefs, improper communication, and lack of respect. Intragroup conflict occurs among people within a single group or a team. Some causes of intragroup conflict are ineffective leadership, disagreement on issues, and lack of participation by an individual in the group. Intergroup conflict occurs between two or more groups of people. Most often, this type of conflict occurs because of differences in goals and perspectives and limited resources. The Journal of Nepal Research Council also mentions the four general sources of conflict. These are real or imagined differences in values, dissimilar goals among individuals, poor communication, and personalization of generic or organizational issues. So let's discuss the different conflict management styles. Avoidance, just like it sounds, to delay or walk away. This is the most common conflict management style seen among nurses, according to the National Library of Medicine. Most commonly, conflict involving patient care and patient outcomes occurs between the nurse and the physician. Oftentimes the nurse is hesitant to report to the physician and will even avoid reaching out about worsening patient conditions to prevent conflict. This also commonly occurs between nurses because the goal is to keep the peace in the unit without confronting the issue at hand. This method, neither person's or group's concerns are met, you just walk away. Accommodating, so ignoring or neglecting one's own concerns to accommodate those of the others. So this is useful for issues of little importance or for creating goodwill. You know, you're right, I'm wrong, drop it. Compromising, so negotiating or splitting any difference of opinion. So the purpose is to find some middle ground in exchange of ideas. Competing, adopted when negotiation and bargaining are not a choice. So there is no compromise because one of the individuals is unquestionably correct. This is one-sided and it generates fast effects. Collaborating, this is the ultimate method to adopt when possible because the two individuals or groups merge perspectives and have an integrated solution resulting in an improved relationship. And this one is considered a win-win situation. So how can we prevent conflict in the workplace? One of the most important things to do is to implement a professional code of conduct. Establishing written rules that are accessible to all members of the healthcare team allows individuals to refer back to policies that could potentially diffuse a situation. Next, understand how conflicts arise and prevent situations that could potentially cause issues. We must be hyper-aware of a rising conflict in the healthcare environment. It occurs so often that it is imperative to be diligent and observant of situations that could cause potential issues. We should also take responsibility for our own errors. Before communication begins, set rules for respectful communication. Collaborate with other healthcare professionals and in doing this, keep the focus on what is best for the patient. Keep an open mind when discussing others' values and beliefs and always engage in active listening. Be proactive in intervening before the situation grows larger and stay calm and suggest solutions. So what are the impacts of conflict on healthcare? The main impact that conflict has on the healthcare environment is jeopardizing the safety and quality of patient care. Disagreements among individuals and the patient's treatment team cause delays in care and adverse events that can lead to dissatisfaction, injury, or even death of the patient. It is so important that the main thing we keep in our minds when handling conflict in the healthcare environment is the safety of our patients. Exhaustion and burnout are very, very common among individuals who work in healthcare largely due to the prevalence of conflict in the workplace. When people leave the nursing profession, it only increases the risk of conflict because of staffing shortages and limited resources. Other impacts of conflict on healthcare are fear of voicing concerns or opinions, increased risk of workplace violence, decreased efficiency and productivity, decreased trust among healthcare workers, and increased prevalence of mental health issues among nurses and other healthcare professionals. So what is the nurse's role in improving the healthcare environment? One thing that a nurse can do to ensure that healthcare environments are safe and welcoming for patients is to advocate for safer working conditions. Unfit staffing ratios create a high-stress environment for all healthcare workers and increase the risk of adverse events and patient dissatisfaction. Advocating for ourselves and for our patients is one of the most important things that a nurse does. Another way that nurses can improve the healthcare environment is to speak positively and kindly to other nurses. We have to take care of one another because most of the time, we are the only ones who understand each other and value the hard work we put into our profession. When we encourage each other, we enhance productivity. Nurses should also strive to continue educating themselves and develop a higher skill level. This allows nurses to climb the ladder to leadership positions and have a louder voice to enforce policies in the workplace. Also listed here are four ways that nurses can continue to make positive changes in the healthcare environment. So first, monitor nurse staffing and ensure that all healthcare settings are adequately staffed with appropriately educated, licensed, and certified personnel. Create institutional cultures that foster professionalism and curb disruptions. Harness nurse leadership at all levels of administration and governance. And lastly, educate the current and future workforce to work in teams and communicate better across the health professions. Conflict is inevitable in the healthcare setting due to the high stress environment, heavy workload, and difficult decision making that come with having a career in the healthcare field. There are several different responses to conflict, but the most effective way to resolve an escalating situation is to collaborate with the other person to find the best solution. The most common types of conflict are interpersonal, interpersonal, intragroup, and intergroup. The most commonly used conflict management strategy among nurses is avoidance. The ultimate conflict management strategy to adopt when possible is collaborating. So when preventing conflict, implement and abide by a professional code of conduct. Understand what causes conflict and prevent harmful situations. Take responsibility for yourself. Set rules for respectful communication. Focus on what is best for the patient. Keep an open mind and be proactive. So the impact that conflict has on healthcare, it jeopardizes patient safety, it causes exhaustion and burnout for the employees, it increases mental health issues, decreases efficiency and productivity, and it implements fear. The nurse's role. So be kind to nurses and other healthcare professionals. You never really know what someone's dealing with on a specific day, so just be nice. Set an example for the future workforce. These are the people that are coming in to help us. And advocate for yourself, your co-workers, and your patients.