Introduction
Conflict is commonplace in many lines of work, especially those that deal with high levels of stress and responsibility. During my time at Hospital Setting Miami, I have encountered a variety of situations that were representative of different types of conflicts. This paper will provide information about one such conflict, its classification, resolution, as well as information on the four stages of the conflict.
The Conflict
For the purposes of this paper, the names of the people are removed, but this is a real situation that I encountered during my work at the hospital. It was not the worst conflict I have seen, but its nature made me understand the psychological toll that such work can have on people. The conflict arose between two nurses who were working the same shift for what I understood to be multiple months. Both of them found coffee to be essential to keep their energy throughout the day. Unfortunately, one day the coffee maker broke while one of them was using it, leaving the team without coffee until the machine could be repaired. Her colleague did not comment on it at first, but by the end of the day, the tension between them was clear. It culminated with a verbal fight between the two, as the one who was using the coffee machine became defensive after being blamed for the lack of coffee.
During the fight, a detail about the nature of their relationship and routine came out: the nurse that was being accused was always the person to bring the coffee to her colleague as a gesture of respect and goodwill. However, with time this gesture became an unspoken, unofficial responsibility. The accusing nurse was saying things like: “how am I supposed to work like this?” and “how could you break it?” In response, the accused nurse would say: “I have not done anything” and “why are you so upset with me?” The shouting match did not last longer than 5 minutes because it attracted too much outside attention, but it was clear that this brought additional tension into their work relationship.
The situation occurred in the nurses’ lounge area at the end of their shift, so the presence of other people forced them to calm down. It is important to note that other colleagues that were affected by this situation were not blaming the nurse, as it was clear that she had nothing to do with it breaking. However, this incident affected the mood of the other colleagues. The generally positive atmosphere of the lounge was disturbed, and no one could use their break time for relaxation. Another unfortunate outcome of this incident was in the loss of effective cooperation between the two nurses.
Prior to the incident, they have served as emotional support for each other during more difficult situations. On some occasions they have substituted for one another, and in general, their interactions have led to a more efficient and positive work environment. However, after the incident, they have stopped interacting with each other outside of basic work requirements. Although with time the tension has lifted, the emotional distance between them has not, and I have not seen them drinking coffee together even once which led me to believe that the conflict was never fully resolved.
This was a clear example of an individual role conflict. One of the nurses perceived the other to be responsible for coffee despite it not being her work responsibility. This conflict was likely driven by the stress experienced by the nurses, as coffee was one of the only sources of energy for them. This can be seen in the irrational nature of the accusations. There was nothing that the nurse could do to break the machine, but she was still seen as responsible for its malfunction in the eyes of the accusing nurse. Although the machine malfunction was the trigger for the conflict, I do not believe that it was the sole reason behind it, as the severity of the incident was much greater than this trivial issue (Finkelman, 2016).
The Stages of Conflict
According to Finkelman there exist four distinct stages of conflict: latent, perceived, felt, and manifest stages. These stages are common to most conflicts and can be used for further understanding of the nature of a given conflict. The first stage of conflict is called the “latent stage.” This stage is characterized by the lack of awareness among its instigators. This is a very common stage because it includes such things as mistakes and misunderstandings. The accusing nurse only assumed that her colleague is responsible for coffee, but she was not aware that it was only a voluntary gesture (Finkelman, 2016).
The second stage is called the “perceived stage,” and as its title suggests it occurs when the participants become aware of the conflict. Often, this awareness becomes the impetus for further action to address the issue in the later step. This awareness can both be responsible for the exacerbation of the conflict or its subsequent resolution. For the nurses in the presented scenario, this awareness came either when the coffee machine broke, or when the shouting match started. I have not interacted with either of the nurses outside of my professional responsibilities, so I do not have a clear idea of their awareness of the issue. However, those two points are the most likely to be the start of the perceived stage of conflicts (Finkelman, 2016).
The third stage is titled the “felt stage” because of its focus on feelings and emotions that the participants are experiencing during the conflict. These emotions are often represented by anxiety and stress caused by the conflict. The presented scenario has a clear point when the stress of the conflict becomes too much and results in a shouting match despite the irrational origins of the conflict (Finkelman, 2016).
The fourth stage is one of the more dangerous as it involves observable actions that can be aggressive in nature. This stage is titled the “manifest stage,” and it represents the manifestation of the conflict in an observable situation. The shouting match in the scenario represents the conflict between the nurses. However, this stage of conflict does not have to be done in person, as any type of verbal, and non-verbal communication can be used at this stage (Finkelman, 2016).
In addition, delegation plays a large role in the presented conflict. The nurse that started the shouting match has delegated the task of getting coffee to the other nurse, despite her lack of awareness of the situation. When this responsibility was impossible to fulfill, the conflict arose (Finkelman, 2016).
Resolution and Collaboration
The conflict presented in the scenario can be resolved through two ways. Both of them include the act of collaboration with a nurse leader due to their stress management and conflict resolution abilities. Multiple studies suggest that the stress of nursing, as well as the conflicts that may arise as a result of this stress, can be mitigated and resolved through the creation of a positive work environment (Twigg & McCullough, 2014). A nurse leader should be able to facilitate such environment through the assessment of the current issues and the provision of appropriate interventions. For example, both of the nurses thought they required coffee to effectively complete the tasks given to them. A nurse leader can analyze the origin of the situation in the lack of food that the nurses consume during their breaks. Perhaps this issue could be mitigated by providing a more varied selection of food for the nurses.
Another solution might lie in the restructuring of the work schedule for these nurses (Manges, Scott-Cawiezell, & Ward, 2016). Perhaps the hours they worked were just too inconvenient for them and left them without enough time for sleep. By utilizing their stress management knowledge, a nurse leader should be able to create an appropriate schedule for the nurses that would prevent their coffee dependency (Johansen & Cadmus, 2015).
Conclusion
Conflict comes in many forms. Sometimes even a small issue can result in a shouting match. Although the presented scenario revolved around coffee, its conflict was caused by stress. When attempting to resolve this type of issue, a deeper look into its origins is required. Only then can the negative outcomes of the conflict be prevented.
References
Finkelman, A. (2016). Leadership and management for nurses. London, UK: Pearson.
Johansen, M., & Cadmus, E. (2015). Conflict management style, supportive work environments and the experience of work stress in emergency nurses. Journal of Nursing Management, 24(2), 211-218.
Manges, K., Scott-Cawiezell, J., & Ward, M. (2016). Maximizing team performance: The critical role of the nurse leader. Nursing Forum, 52(1), 21-29.
Twigg, D., & McCullough, K. (2014). Nurse retention: A review of strategies to create and enhance positive practice environments in clinical settings. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 51(1), 85-92.