Nursing Leadership Conflict

Over the years, the nursing profession has comprehensively developed a wide range of nursing careers and specialties. The diversity in the nursing profession with the increasing number of consumers having complex health-related needs is often accompanied by conflict and struggle amongst the nurses in the health setting. Thus, good leadership is needed to identify and effectively prevent conflict in the workplace. Sullivan (2012) defines nursing leadership as a professional who utilizes interpersonal skills, knowledge and role development in influencing others to accomplish a specific goal in the healthcare setting. Effective nursing leaders work on their abilities to effectively determine the arising conflict in the workplace by spending
Compromising is defined as involving intermediate levels of being assertive and cooperating in the group showing moderate concern for self and other colleagues. This type of conflict resolution focuses on immediate and mutual agreement to conciliate both parties and noted as a “no win-no lose” scenario. The usual characteristics are negotiation and interchange, the nursing managers’ application of compromise is seen in their primary conflict management style. Each of the parties affected gains something in return but complies with something else in the negotiation. Iglesias and Vallejo (2012) argued in their study that in using conflict-solving approaches used in academic and clinical nursing, the most common style used to resolve the struggle in the workplace was compromising showing an overall 83% usage in the clinical setting than the other conflict strategies. Nursing leaders identify mutually acceptable solutions to reach a temporary settlement. Barr and Dowding (2008) noted that compromising is used to reach desirable solutions under time pressure for example in the emergency setting where immediate and practical solutions are needed save the patient’s life. It is a relevant strategy when there is time to analyse both parties’ needs but demands close monitoring to safeguard the decision
Nursing leaders using this strategy ignores complaints showing a lack of concern for the improvement of the health care team (Barr & Dowding, 2008). It is also observed to be a cooling down method when faced with scenarios that are detrimental that may overshadow benefits. Also noted as the “lose-lose” scenario as both parties are neither assertive nor cooperative to fix the problem. Nursing leaders practicing this strategy needs more time and information before confronting the issue such as when unprepared or taken by surprise. Some nursing leaders may have poor emotional stability to assess the situation that affects their feelings making them unable to handle the conflict. This strategy is effective and applicable in the clinical setting when one party is being hostile and the other party is forced to withdraw and later respond when favourable factors are available. Al-Hamdan et. al. (2011) states that nursing leaders who often use avoidance may end up losing their position wherein the subordinates are not able to trust their decision making skills as being a leader or manager in the unit requires skill and experience. Johansen (2012) also stated that this strategy may be applicable with a nurse-physician interaction. The avoidance management