Conflict Management Strategies for Nurse Managers, Essay Example

I agree that it is imperative to deal with conflicts to ensure that employee morale is at its maximum. Happier employees work more efficiently and with meaning, which results in greater productivity and as you mentioned, an improved well-being of the organization. I believe that assertive personalities have an important role in the professional setting because these individuals typically call attention to mistakes rather than ignoring them. In the situation you discuss, I believe that you behaved appropriately. Confrontation is often difficult but it is necessary. When confrontation is done in a respectful manner, it is more likely to be effective (Lipman, 2008). Even individuals that are generally passive should strive to behave in this manner.

I agree that conflict can be either a positive or negative occurrence. In the field of nursing however, it is our duty to make sure that this is a positive occurrence and results in constructive criticism (Johansen, 2012). It is essential to avoid mistakes in our field which makes it substantially more important for us to inform our colleagues when they are doing something incorrectly or making the wrong decision. However, we must do so in a manner that first considers the reasoning behind their decision or action. Then, when we confront our colleagues about their choices, we will be doing so with respect. In the situation you discussed with your externship, you were not necessarily in the wrong. The nurse should have told you which patient to bring back and since this was an emergency situation, you were forced to act quickly. It would have been more beneficial to ask the nurse for a clarification at that moment, but returning after examining the patient records may have slowed things down. Therefore, it would have been helpful to demonstrate respect in this situation by informing the nurse that she should be more descriptive with her orders in the future.

Reference

Johansen ML. (2012). Keeping the peace: Conflict management strategies for nurse managers. Nursing Management. Retrieved from             http://journals.lww.com/nursingmanagement/Fulltext/2012/02000/Keeping_the_peace___Conflict_management_strategies.13.aspx