The Potential Issues of Office Conflict for the Healthcare Team Members
Similar to any field, there are frequent conflicts in healthcare, which might decrease the performance of the employees and lead to risks of poor quality of patient care. It is noteworthy that office conflict can lead to many unfavorable results. For example, a hostile environment and constant disagreements can lead to low satisfaction among staff members, higher levels of stress, and ineffective teamwork (Panahi Tosanloo et al., 2019).
The Potential Ethical and Legal Implications for the Practice Members
In the case, the medical assistant failed to notify the nurse practitioner of the patient’s high blood pressure. However, the effects of conflict on each healthcare professional can vary. For example, clinical staff members can experience a high level of stress, which can affect their mental and physical health. Nurse practitioners can experience frustration due to a lack of cooperation, lowering their job satisfaction. Patients will be less likely to trust such medical staff when observing such behavior in both instances.
Moreover, ethical and legal implications concern the actions of medical assistants, nurse practitioners, and medical directors. First, the medical assistant’s failure to promptly notify nurse practitioner of the patient’s vital signs could result in adverse patient outcomes, causing malpractice claims and litigation against the practice. Moreover, as a nurse practitioner, I have an ethical and legal obligation to ensure patient safety and quality care. Failure to do so will result in disciplinary action and malpractice claims. Finally, the medical director has a legal and ethical responsibility to ensure all employees adhere to policies and procedures. Similarly to previous instances, legal action could follow the case’s mistake.
Strategies for Preventing Dangerous Patient Outcomes
As for strategies that could help prevent future adverse patient outcomes, the first strategy concerns providing training and education to employees on effective communication. In this case, the staff will be capable of managing conflicts professionally (Panahi Tosanloo et al., 2019). Another strategy involves implementing policies that outline unprofessional conduct and constant conflicts. This will highlight the consequences of miscommunication and foster a collaborative environment.
Leadership Qualities for Fostering a Positive Practice Culture
Lastly, leadership qualities that can help lead to effective outcomes are good listening skills and accountability. In the first situation, the staff will learn to communicate openly. In the case of accountability, employees will understand the importance of taking ownership of one’s actions and learning from mistakes. Conflict and malpractice can be eliminated with proper training, policies, and leadership qualities.
Reference
Panahi Tosanloo, M., Adham, D., Ahmadi, B., RahimiForoshani, A., & Pourreza, A. (2019). Causes of conflict between clinical and administrative staff in hospitals. Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 8, 1-6. Web.