In hospital policies, the approaches to resolving the issue when nurses request the same holiday time are usually described. However, in cases when units discuss holiday coverage separately, it is a responsibility of a nurse manager to address this problem effectively. The focus should be on meeting the interests of both patients and nurses during holiday periods. In this case, it is possible to apply the principle of the first request.
The potential impact of the conflict between staff members regarding holiday periods is that nurses will be dissatisfied with the holiday schedule, and this aspect will affect their productivity and performance. Thus, this situation can have a direct negative effect on the unit staff. In addition, it is possible to observe a negative effect on a nurse manager associated with the lack of the staff’s commitment and loyalty (Grubaugh & Flynn, 2018). A nurse manager can be regarded in this case as non-supportive and inexperienced.
The positive consequence of the conflict between nurses because of holiday dates is the possibility for the manager to learn nurses’ preferences regarding holiday schedules. Another positive effect is the opportunity to concentrate on nurses’ willingness or not to demonstrate flexibility and address the unit’s needs. A negative consequence of the conflict is associated with worsening communication and cooperation between nurses because some of them can be discussed as treated unfairly.
The most appropriate model of conflict resolution that can be applied in this case is accommodating. The focus is on addressing the staff’s expectations, adapting to the existing policies and norms (Lahana et al., 2019). Thus, the conflict should be resolved referring to the idea that the holiday dates are primarily set for those nurses who sent their requests as quickly as possible after announcing the necessity of completing holiday schedules. In this case, the needs of those nurses sending requests a long time ago will be addressed efficiently. Holiday dates for other staff should be distributed depending on other criteria reflected in policies: the period of working in a hospital, the dates of previous holidays, and others.
In spite of the fact that the discussed situation can be viewed as highly conflicting and negative, it is still possible to determine some positive outcomes. Furthermore, the ability to resolve a conflict involving the nurse staff is important for a nurse manager to practice and demonstrate their skills in conflict management. This situation can provide a nurse manager with information and insights regarding the areas and competencies that need to be developed or improved.
References
Franks‐Meeks, S. (2018). Clinical staff nurse leadership: Identifying gaps in competency development. Nursing Forum, 53(1), 35-39.
Grubaugh, M. L., & Flynn, L. (2018). Relationships among nurse manager leadership skills, conflict management, and unit teamwork. The Journal of Nursing Administration, 48(7/8), 383-388.
Lahana, E., Tsaras, K., Kalaitzidou, A., Galanis, P., Kaitelidou, D., & Sarafis, P. (2019). Conflicts management in public sector nursing. International Journal of Healthcare Management, 12(1), 33-39.