A PRESENTATION ON

CONFLICT MANAGEMENT
Introduction
 Conflict occurs in almost all of the working environments. This is
because of different needs, responsibilities, ideas, perceptions, goals
and desires. Conflict is the leading problem in job dissatisfaction in
many of the nursing settings. Personal values held by individual
nurses are often subsumed by the need to be professional at all
times as a nurse. This is a source of conflict for nurses who may
have conscientious objections based on their professional beliefs
about care, treatment, dignity or the behavior of patients.
DEFINITIONS
Conflict
 Conflict is defined as a situation in which two or more parties
become aware of the fact that each party wants is incompatible with
the wishes of the other.
Conflict management
 Conflict management is a comprehensive term indicating the range
of attitudes and behaviors individuals, groups and organizations
manifest in dealing with conflict.
CAUSES
1. Specialization
2. Multitask roles
3. Role interdependence
4. Task blurring
5. Differentiation
6. Scarcity of resources
7. Change
8. Unequal rewards
9. Communication problems
Types of conflict
 1. Intra personal conflict – Intrapersonal conflict may result as a
nurse want to spend more time comforting a clients grieving spouse,
but another client is nearing an arrest situation and needs immediate
attention.
 2. Inter personal conflict – Inter personal conflict may erupt between
a nurse and unlicensed assistive personnel over uncompleted tasks
or miscommunication.
 3. An inter group conflict may occur between the nurses and
pharmacy department regarding the timelines of medication delivery.
Process of conflict
 1. Antecedent conditions
 2. Perceived and/or felt conflict
 3. Manifest behavior
 4. Conflict resolution
 5. Resolution aftermath
Effective conflict management: actions and
implications

 Recognize and accept conflict : Implication – Value self and others

without blaming.

 State intention to resolve conflict and act with effective interpersonal

skills : Implication – Commit to improving interpersonal skills.
 Acknowledge feelings and thoughts : Implication – Openness of self.

 Adopt flexible, adaptable and creative strategies : Implication –

Challenge and revise old patterns.

 Avoid power-over communiation : Implication – Value self and others

without blaming.
Conflict management frame work

Conflict Recognition

Conflict Acceptance

Conflict resolution
Common conflict resolution strategies
 1. Compromising

 2. Competing

 3. Cooperating or Accommodating

 4. Smoothing

 5. Avoiding

 6. Collaborating
Conclusion
 Nurses awareness of working out of scope was an incipient source
of conflict between themselves and physician. Nurses should be
encouraged to continue to provide compassionate care and a caring
presence as they struggle together with patients, family members
and the professional colleagues, in the attempt to identify what, all
things considered ought to be done in situations of moral conflict.
Nurses should continually seek to improve their ethics knowledge
base by looking for learning opportunities and access resources to
make ethical decisions.
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