Effectiveness of a Nurse Leaders Use of the Main Conflict Resolution Management Strategies - Literature review Example

Nursing Leadership Name Grade Course Tutor’s Name Date The medical field has been increasingly becoming under pressure because of the concerns by many on the issue of quality. Everyone is concerned about quick recovery of their patient whenever they are admitted within a hospital set up. As a result, it is important for medical practitioners to ensure that they perform their duty diligently and professionally at all times. Nurses play an important role towards the recovery of patients (Johansen, 2012). Research has indicated that apart from the issues touching on knowledge and experience of nurses, there are other decision-making areas not directly related to medicine that nurses should be constantly aware of. According to Morrison (2008), nurses as professionals will be constantly affected by stress and conflicts emanating from the nature of their work and type of individuals they handle at the work place. There are different sources of conflict for any nurse within the medical organizational set up. First, there are the patients who are the most important subjects in the nurse’s profession. Secondly, there are other colleges like physicians who the nurse will need to work closely with to ensure that the patient’s recovery or treatment is on the right track. Lastly, there is the management of the health institutions that are important for the creation of an environment in which the nurses are able to comfortably work in. As a result of the various concerns and interests between the mentioned categories of individuals and the nurses, there is bound to be conflict. Consequently, it is important to look at the best ways in which nurses should handle such conflicts whilst ensuring that quality of work is not compromised. This paper therefore looks at the importance, applicability and effectiveness of a nurse leader’s use of the main conflict resolution management strategies. The importance of use refers to the potential gains that might result in choice of a nurse leader’s use of a specific resolution strategy. On the other hand, applicability refers to the specific and practicable way in which the chosen strategy may be employed by individual nurses when conflicts are bound to arise. Effectiveness refers to the degree of accuracy in applicability that is likely to give the desired results, which is largely dependent on the choice of a given conflict resolution strategy. In compliance with the Thomas-Killman Instrument (TKI), there are five main conflict resolution management strategies that nurse leaders are likely to use when situations of conflict arise. They include compromising, collaboration, avoidance, competition and accommodation. To begin, compromising refers to the situation in which a nurse leader is able to reach an amicable solution based on a negotiated position. For the purposes of a common good for all parties, nurses may use this conflict management strategy to ensure that there is harmony within the context of the work environment. Compromising is important for the purposes of ensuring that there is effective flow of schedules through prompt decision-making. This strategy is applicable in different scenarios. First, the main issue of conflict may not be significant to the nurse as it is to the other individual. Secondly and most common with this element, it is sometimes evident that peers of the same level are going to be in conflict and it is only through compromising and reaching a middle ground that conflicts may be solved faster. For instance, a nurse and a fellow colleague in the same rank may disagree on a given work schedule of approach. As a result, it is important for them to discuss and arrive at the best way to correct the situation that will satisfy both of them. This resolution strategy is important for maintaining respect among peers (Gottlieb et al, 2012). It can be effectively carried out through mature discussions among the peers when conflicts are likely to arise. Studies have also indicated that with constant conflict among nurses, compromising has always resulted in a united workforce and improved teamwork, which is quite essential for a healthy work environment. Collaboration is another way of conflict resolution that recognizes that even though nurses may have their differences with their patients, colleges or managers, it is important to work as a team regardless of such differences to reduce conflicts. Collaboration will therefore mean that a nurse leader will integrate all ideas and concerns of the team members of all other interested parties so that everyone is satisfied with the decision made. This strategy is important for various reasons. First, it is important for creating a sense of belonging or ownership. For instance, by discussing with the patient on the best alternative to pick when carrying out a procedure, the patient will cooperate during the procedure and as a result, the nurse will have an easy time and the results may also be tremendous (Stanley, 2008). Secondly, this conflict resolution strategy is important to generate or indicate some level of trust between the nurse leader and other individuals involves. By laying all the facts on the table and discussing the best way of approaching them, there is trust among the collaborators because they will definitely understand why some things are being done rather than questioning them silently. Collaboration has also been found to be effective for a nurse leader. In terms of cultivating a nurse- patient, nurse-nurse or a nurse- manager relationship, studies have indicated that this strategy produces significant outcomes. However, in some cases, individuals are likely to take advantage of the trust cultivated among them and commit to what is not right. Even though not the one of the best strategy for approaching conflict, it has been observed that most fresh graduate nurses would like to use avoidance when faced with conflict involving their seniors. Avoidance refers to putting off a problem to allow matters to settle. The assumption here is that with time, the conflict may be resolved on its own or might be faced when it becomes significant to both parties. This conflict management strategy is however important for nurses in different scenarios. First, sometimes it is important to avoid conflict with seniors especially when the nurse is still new to the organization. Secondly, avoidance is constantly used by nurses that may be emotionally attached to the given conflict to an extent that they are likely to arrive at compromised positions. In this case, avoidance helps in giving the chance to the other people not emotionally attached to effectively solve the conflict. Avoidance is also an important conflict resolution strategy when the nurse has several other issues that may be more significant to the issue that has arisen. As such, avoidance may be an effective approach of dealing with trivial issues that might distract the focus of the nurse in tackling other important issues. It is for this reason that effective nurses have submitted that they sometimes have avoided confrontation when they felt that the source of conflict was trivial and could easily be solved naturally rather than getting involved (Morrison, 2008). Furthermore, getting involved to such issues may sometimes lead to escalation of the problems when they were not potentially bound to get worse. Within a work environment with different interests, concerns and priorities there is bound to be competition. However, competition as a conflict resolution strategy refers to the use of one’s position or influence to influence fast decision making even if it means it may be unpopular with others. Competition as a conflict resolution strategy is important in times where there is emergency and prompt decisions need to be made. It is obvious that during emergencies, the patient’s life might be at stake. As a result, it is important to make accurate but quick decisions which might not be easy because sometimes there might be conflict arising from different opinions on handling the situation and timing (Allan et al, 2008). Competition is also effective where the nurse leader may feel that other individuals may be undermining the work being done. It is applicable therefore to situations where the nurse leader needs to stand for the laid down procedures. Lastly, accommodation is another of the conflict management strategies that ensures that the opposing side gets what they want. There are situations where the nurse may concede and decide that the other party gets what they want even when the nurse might have thought the otherwise. The main reason for adopting this strategy is to be able to maintain harmony within the work environment. In addition, sometimes as a leader and a professional, it is important to appreciate the fact that the position held may not be right. This strategy involves a nurse accepting that they may not be right and therefore there is need to allow the other party what they want (Sorensen et al, 2008). For instance, there are cases where a patient may have a history with their ailment and therefore they always get down well with some procedures conducted. On the other hand, a nurse that may not have experience with the patient might feel that according to normal practice they are supposed to choose a procedure from the other. However, it is important to listen to the patient. References Allan, H. et al (2008). 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