Assignment Instructions
Explain what factors lead to conflict in professional practice. Describe how organizational values and culture can influence the way conflict is addressed. Discuss effective strategies for resolving workplace conflict and preventing violence.
Sample Answer
Explain what factors lead to conflict in professional practice.
There are various factors that contribute to the conflicts in the nursing profession. The staff in the nursing organizations conflict regarding the staffing ratios, distribution of work, and shift preferences. Disagreements may arise among members of the interdisciplinary team regarding the decision-making processes, responsibilities of the team members, and treatment plans. Ethical disputes may be evidenced on the topics of patient autonomy, end-of-life care, and allocation of resources (Zajac et al., 2021). Conflicts among nurses can be due to communication breakdown due to a lack of information misunderstanding and discrepancies in the organizational policies and the decision-making authority. Role conflicts are another type of conflict that can occur due to the ambiguity in the nurses' responsibilities and their overlapping duties. Another type of conflict is the resource conflicts that occur due to limited budgetary allocation and supplies (Zajac et al., 2021).
Describe how organizational values and culture can influence the way conflict is addressed.
Organizational values influence how conflicts are addressed by dictating the actions and behaviors in an organization. For instance, an organization that fosters open communication enhances open addressing of conflicts. Organizational culture is characterized by shared values, assumptions, and beliefs that govern how individuals in an organization behave. A culture that promotes collaboration will have more efficient conflict-resolution strategies.
Discuss effective strategies for resolving workplace conflict and preventing violence.
There are various effective strategies for resolving conflicts in the workplace. The first strategy is to foster open communication that is characterized by active listening and honest conversations. Conflicts in the workplace can be resolved through negotiation and mediation and this involves having constructive dialogue to work towards achieving a mutually agreeable solution (ANA, 2023). It is crucial to identify the underlying issues in seeking the root causes of conflicts and ask questions that prompt creative solutions and perspectives. Additionally, conflicts can be resolved by providing coaching and guidance, seeking a compromise, following the established procedures and policies, encouraging professional behavior, and documenting issues in healthcare (ANA, 2023).
References
ANA. (2023). Conflict Resolution Strategies in Nursing. https://www.nursingworld.org/resources/individual/nurse-managers/conflict-resolution-in-nursing/
Zajac, S., Woods, A., Tannenbaum, S., Salas, E., & Holladay, C. L. (2021). Overcoming challenges to teamwork in healthcare: a team effectiveness framework and evidence-based guidance. Frontiers in Communication, 6, 606445. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2021.606445/full