Purpose
The purpose of this assignment is to learn how to identify
and effectively manage conflicts that arise in care delivery settings resulting
in better management of patient care, including appropriate delegation. You
will gain insight into conflict management strategies and develop a plan to
collaborate with a potential nurse leader about the conflict and its impact in
a practice setting.
Directions
1. Read Finkelman (2012), pp. 361–376.
2. Observe
nurses in a care delivery setting. Identify a recurring conflict with the
potential to negatively impact patient care. Decide if delegation was an issue
in the conflict. This should be from your practice setting or prelicensure
experiences.
3. Provide
details of what happened, including who was involved, what was said, where it
occurred, and what was the outcome that led you to decide the conflict was
unresolved.
4. Identify
the type of conflict. Explain your rationale for selecting this type.
5. Outline
the four stages of conflict, as described in our text, and how they relate to
your example.
6. Propose
strategies to resolve the conflict. Search scholarly sources in the library and
the Internet for evidence on what may be effective.
7. Discuss
if delegation was an issue in the conflict. Be specific.
8. Describe
how you would collaborate with a nurse leader to reach consensus on the best
strategy to employ to deal with the conflict.
9. Describe
the rationale for selecting the best strategy.
10. Provide
a summary or conclusion about this experience or assignment and how you may
deal with conflict more effectively in the future.
11. Write
a 5–7 page paper (not including the title or References pages) using APA format
that includes the following.
a.
Describe an unresolved (recurring) conflict that
you experienced or observed. Identify the type of conflict.
b.
Provide details of what happened, including who
was involved, what was said, where it occurred, and what was the outcome that
led you to decide the conflict was unresolved.
c.
Outline the four stages of conflict, as
described in Finkelman, and how the stages relate to your example. Decide if
delegation was an issue in the conflict. Be specific.
d.
Describe the strategies for conflict resolution
and how you would collaborate with a nurse leader to resolve the conflict.
Cites resources.
e.
Provide a conclusion or summary about this experience
and how you may deal with conflict more effectively in the future.
f.
Submit to the Dropbox by the end of Week 3.
Grading Criteria: Conflict Resolution Paper
Category | Points | % | Description |
Detailed | 60 | 30 | Describes |
Four | 40 | 20% | Describes |
Strategies | 60 | 30% | Various discusses |
Conclusion | 20 | 10% | Provides |
Clarity | 20 | 10% | Content |
Grading Rubric Conflict Resolution Paper
Assignment | Outstanding A | Very B | Competent C | Poor, F |
Detailed description of conflict, including type of conflict 60 points | After an introduction observations of The paper thoroughly 55–60 points | After an introduction observations of It clearly states if 50–54 | After an introduction observations of conflict It briefly states if 46–49 | After an introduction observations of It does not state if It provides few details of what happened, 0–45 |
Four stages of conflict and relationship to identified conflict, 40 points | Paper thoroughly outlines 37–40 | Paper clearly outlines 34–36 | Paper briefly outlines 30–33 | Paper does not outline 0–29 |
Strategies for conflict resolution and collaboration with a leader, 60 points | Paper describes Besides Finkelman, the 55–60 | Paper describes Besides text, the It generally 50–54 | Paper describes It only uses text. It 46–49 | Paper describes It does not locate 0–45 |
Conclusion and summary 20 points | Paper provides a 18–20 | Paper provides a clear 16–17 | Paper provides a brief 14–15 | Paper does not 0–13 |
Clarity of writing 20 points | Content is organized, 18–20 | Content is mostly 16–17 | Content is somewhat 14–15 | Content is 0–13 |
Total | Points Earned = | A quality assignment |
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
Conflict is inevitable in any care delivery setting, but it can have a negative impact on patient care if not managed effectively. Therefore, nurses need to learn how to identify and manage conflicts to ensure improved patient outcomes. This assignment aims to explore conflict management strategies and develop a plan to collaborate with a potential nurse leader to manage conflicts that arise in care delivery settings, including appropriate delegation.
1. Read Finkelman (2012), pp. 361–376.
2. Observing nurses in a care delivery setting and identify a recurring conflict with the potential to negatively impact patient care. Decide if delegation was an issue in the conflict. This should be from your practice setting or prelicensure experiences.
3. Provide details of what happened, including who was involved, what was said, where it occurred, and what was the outcome that led you to decide the conflict was unresolved.
4. Identify the type of conflict. Explain your rationale for selecting this type.
5. Outline the four stages of conflict, as described in our text, and how they relate to your example.
6. Propose strategies to resolve the conflict. Search scholarly sources in the library and the Internet for evidence on what may be effective.
7. Discuss if delegation was an issue in the conflict. Be specific.
8. Describe how you would collaborate with a nurse leader to reach consensus on the best strategy to employ to deal with the conflict.
9. Describe the rationale for selecting the best strategy.
10. Provide a summary or conclusion about this experience or assignment and how you may deal with conflict more effectively in the future.
11. Write a 5–7 page paper (not including the title or References pages) using APA format that includes the following.
a. Describe an unresolved (recurring) conflict that you experienced or observed. Identify the type of conflict.
One unresolved conflict that I observed in a care delivery setting was a communication conflict between a nurse and a physician. The nurse had observed symptoms of patient deterioration and requested a physician assessment. However, the physician refused to attend the patient, stating that the nurse was overreacting. This conflict fits into the category of role conflict, where the nurse and the physician have different views of their roles in patient care and decision-making.
b. Provide details of what happened, including who was involved, what was said, where it occurred, and what was the outcome that led you to decide the conflict was unresolved.
In this situation, the nurse noticed that the patient had increased shortness of breath and was developing blue lips, which are signs of hypoxia. The nurse then called the physician and requested a review of the patient. However, the physician refused to attend the patient, stating that the nurse was overreacting. The nurse tried to explain her rationale for requesting the review, but the physician refused to listen and became defensive. The incident occurred in a critical care unit and led to the patient’s condition deteriorating, causing the patient to have to move to the ICU.
c. Outline the four stages of conflict, as described in Finkelman, and how the stages relate to your example. Decide if delegation was an issue in the conflict. Be specific.
The four stages of conflict as described in Finkelman include: latent, perceived, felt, and manifest. In this situation, the conflict started from the latent stage, where the nurse had noticed signs of patient deterioration, but the physician had failed to acknowledge the nurse’s concerns. The conflict then escalated to the perceived stage, where the nurse believed that the physician was making a clinical mistake by refusing to attend the patient, leading to the nurse’s feelings of anxiety, stress, and frustration. The conflict then transitioned to the felt stage, where the nurse had expressed her concerns to the physician, but the physician failed to acknowledge the nurse’s concerns, leading to the conflict becoming more apparent and intense. Finally, the conflict transitioned to the manifest stage, where the patient’s condition worsened, and the conflict became apparent to other healthcare providers. Delegation was not an issue in this conflict.
d. Describe the strategies for conflict resolution and how you would collaborate with a nurse leader to resolve the conflict. Cites resources.
Strategies for conflict resolution include compromising, collaborating, competing, accommodating, and avoiding. The most effective strategy, in this case, would be collaboration. Collaboration involves both parties working together to come up with a solution that best suits the patient’s needs. In this specific case, a nurse leader may collaborate with the physician and the nurse to form a committee to come up with clinical guidelines that help avoid future conflicts.
e. Describe the rationale for selecting the best strategy.
Collaboration is the most effective strategy because it involves both parties working together to come up with a solution that benefits the patient. It ensures that both parties work together to create a positive outcome and helps avoid future conflicts.
f. Provide a conclusion or summary about this experience and how you may deal with conflict more effectively in the future.
In conclusion, conflicts are inevitable in any care delivery setting, but nurses need to learn how to manage them effectively to ensure improved patient outcomes. Nurses need to use collaboration as the primary strategy in managing conflicts, as it involves both parties working together to come up with a solution that benefits the patient. In the future, I would deal with conflicts more effectively by using collaboration as the primary strategy and by creating clinical guidelines to help prevent future conflicts.