observe nurses in a care delivery setting identify a recurring conflict with the potential to negatively impact patient care
Directions
- Read Finkelman (2016), Chapter 13: Improving Teamwork: Collaboration, Coordination, and Conflict Resolution, section on Negotiation and Conflict Resolution, pp. 324-333.
- Write a 5-7 page paper (not including the title or References pages). Follow APA format. Consult your APA manual, and consider using the APA resources provided by Chamberlain. Cite the course textbook and two scholarly sources. You are required to complete this assignment using the productivity tools required by Chamberlain University, which is Microsoft Office Word 2013 (or later version), or Windows and Office 2011 (or later version) for MAC. You must save the file in the “.docx” format. Do NOT save as Word Pad.
- Observe nurses in a care delivery setting. Identify a recurring conflict with the potential to negatively impact patient care. This should be from your practice setting or prelicensure experiences.
- Provide details of what happened, including who was involved, what was said, where it occurred, and what was the outcome that led you to decide the conflict was unresolved.
- REVIEW AND DISCUSS the four stages of conflict as found in Finkelman. IDENTIFY AND EXPLAIN how the stages of conflict relate to the example in your workplace.Do not use direct quotes.
- Describe how you would collaborate with a nurse leader to reach consensus on the best strategy to deal with the conflict. Besides the textbook, the paper needs to summarize conflict resolutions from two scholarly articles.
- Describe the rationale for selecting the best strategy.
- Provide a summary or conclusion about this experience or assignment and how you may deal with conflict more effectively in the future.
Rubric:
| Criteria | Ratings | Pts | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeDetailed description of conflict, including type of conflict |
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60.0 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeStages DescribedFour stages of conflict and relationship to identified conflict, Describes stages and their relationship to identified conflict |
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40.0 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeBest strategy for conflict resolution and collaboration with a leaderStrategy for resolution of conflict identified. Discusses collaborative efforts with a nurse leader to resolve conflict. Besides the course textbook, the paper cites two scholarly sources. |
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60.0 pts |
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|
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeConclusion or SummaryProvides a conclusion or summary about the learning experience and how this assignment will provide guidance for future conflict resolution skills |
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20.0 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeClarity of WritingContent is organized, logical, and with correct grammar, punctuation, spelling, and sentence structure |
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10.0 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeAPAAPA formatting is apparent. References are properly cited within the paper; reference page includes all citations; proper title page and introduction are present. |
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10.0 pts |
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Total Points: 200.0 |
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Teams and Teamwork
Have you heard the saying, “No man is an island…?†(Donne, 1624). Well, this certainly applies to our work settings in healthcare. No one works in isolation. We are continuously depending on others for assistance. Teams are critical for us to ensure integration and coordination of care. Teams represent structure, and teamwork is a function they perform. Structure and function must coexist peacefully.
As nurses, we work in teams all the time. Various nursing care delivery systems have been used over the years, and Finkelman (2016) provides a nice discussion of these with which most nurses are familiar. One method of teamwork used to address quality care issues in healthcare organizations was developed by the U.S. government. As noted in Finkelman (2016), TeamSTEPPS is an evidence-based practice model designed to enhance a team’s performance. Four skills are imperative to this model: leadership, situation monitoring, mutual support, and communication. For additional information, go to http://teamstepps.ahrq.gov/. (Links to an external site.)
More and more nurses are being exposed to this system as an example of interprofessional and intraprofessional team involvement. It is a structured approach for the team to analyze and develop solutions for a healthcare quality concern. The parallels between the nursing process, decision making, and problem solving are discussed throughout this course.
Collaboration, Coordination, Communication, and Conflict
Let’s look at some key leadership terms individually. Skills, knowledge, and attributes or attitudes related to each of these is imperative to the functioning of all teams and to a nursing leader’s success.
Collaboration
The importance of collaboration in healthcare today cannot be overemphasized. Collaboration is one of the critical skills needed by every nurse, regardless of the specialty practiced or the environment where that practice occurs.
Barriers to effective collaboration can result from lack of trust, conflict between professions and disciplines, lack of effective communication skills, and lack of interpersonal skills, including respect for the other’s expertise.
Collaboration skills that are needed to provide high-quality, safe care, including being aware of one’s personal feelings on an issue, problem solving, effective communication, assessment of the needs of the patient or team, and negotiation.
The topic of collaboration has been integrated throughout the lessons and assignments for this course. Collaboration cannot be overemphasized in today’s environment where patients interface with providers and services.
Coordination
Nurses coordinated care long before there were other disciplines, such as social workers, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and so forth. Coordination is really seeing that all the pieces of the puzzle fit. Nurses in all settings are involved with coordination whether they realize it or not. Coordination of care today is much more complex. It involves working across services, disciplines , and clinicians in a variety of settings.
Today, more and more nurses are employed as case managers. Case managers are employed by hospitals, health systems, insurance payers, the government, and various other agencies to coordinate care and reduce healthcare expenditures. Primary skills needed by those who coordinate care by nurses in all settings include, but are not limited to, the following. Their skills of assessing and planning care, identifying resources, problem solving, communication, collaboration, and evaluation are all components of this specialty area. Nurses are in an ideal position to collaborate with other disciplines and coordinate care across the healthcare continuum.
Communication
Nurse leaders need to communicate at many levels with many different kinds of people. Knowing how and when to communicate in person, in writing, or electronically are essential skills. A leader will have difficulty influencing others if communication skills are poorly demonstrated.
The duties of the nurse as either manager of patient care or manager of the care environment, amplify the importance of good communication skills. The majority of the nurse’s time is spent in some form of communication: listening, speaking, or writing. Creating a culture of safety begins with a cohesive team that communicates well in order to serve patients and meet the organization’s goals. How many times have we heard the comment, “The problem was due to lack of communication?”
In today’s global healthcare environment, diversity is an important consideration in communication. It is important for the nurse leader to assess the communication needs and readiness of the intended population in order to prevent barriers or misunderstandings. What are the values, beliefs, age, gender, experiences, and primary language of the intended recipient of a message? One of the best ways to assure successful communication is through active listening, seeking understanding, and clarifying that the message sent is the message received.
Effective communication is critical in creating a culture of safety. Sensitivity to culture when communicating with colleagues and employees (members of our teams) is essential for avoiding misunderstanding and conflict.
Conflict
Who likes and thrives on conflict? Many people (including nurses) do not and will go to great lengths to avoid it. Conflict management skills have become indispensable, though, in the modern healthcare workplace and are an important part of the change process. Conflict helps people recognize legitimate differences within an organization or profession and serves as a powerful motivator to improve performance and effectiveness, as well as satisfaction. In this sense, conflict can be viewed as a positive tool for moving a team forward in achieving the desired outcomes.
Conflict, when managed skillfully, can spark creative change for the organization, the staff, and the patient. Some of the leader’s most important work will be helping staff to manage conflict skillfully. Managing it well is a conscious and creative effort that requires honesty and courage.
Causes for conflict are as varied as the patients, staff, and organizations involved. The four stages of conflict are depicted in our text (Finkelman, 2016) and are worth reviewing.
Felt conflict is one of the most anxiety-provoking stages and is a challenge for the nurse leader to ascertain and with which to deal.
Although the main goal is to create a win-win solution for all parties involved, this outcome is not possible in all situations. The manager’s goal then is to “manage conflict in a manner that lessens the perceptual differences that exist between the involved parties” (Huston & Marquis, 2009, p. 495). A consensus has been achieved when both parties can agree to live with the solution.
Successful leaders strive to create a work environment where conflict may be used as a conduit for growth, innovation, and productivity. The leader’s approach to conflict management is the key determinant of whether the outcomes of conflict are beneficial or detrimental to a patient or an organization. There are numerous ways to manage and resolve conflicts. Different methods are effective with different people in different situations.
You will have an opportunity to explore conflict and conflict resolution in the Conflict Resolution paper assignment.
Nursing Care Models
Finkelman (2016) does an outstanding job discussing nursing care models and professional nursing practice within these models. What are nursing care models? Simply stated, models assist nurses with getting the work of nursing done. There are various models outlined in Chapter 4. Seasoned nurses will recognize some the nursing models presented from an historical standpoint. Those with less experience will find information about these models to be severely outdated and the terminology unknown. Newer models may be less familiar to the seasoned RN but right on from the newer nurse’s perspective.
Regardless of the model or models in place at one’s place of employment, working in teams seems to be a common theme.
Your Nursing Care Models paper assignment, due at the end of Week 5, gives you an opportunity to explore various models. It is not too early to review the guidelines, grading criteria and grading rubric located in Course Resources.
Simon Says
“Wow, the readings were very heavy this week. I am glad I didn’t volunteer to do any overtime. I learned from the readings and will apply what I learned on my Conflict Resolution paper. Conflict is everywhere. I realize my first written assignment is due by midnight on Sunday (Mountain Time). I just have to put some finishing touches on it. I am so glad I began this assignment early. I noticed that the second assignment is due in a couple of weeks. This term is flying.â€
Summary
A key term covered this week and emphasized in all the readings is collaboration. Collaboration of care is paramount to delivery of care. For collaboration to occur smoothly, the composition of teams was reviewed and the emphasis of core competency 2, working in interdisciplinary and interprofessional teams, was emphasized. Key functions, including teamwork, coordination of care and services, and the role of conflict resolution, were reviewed. The importance of communication skills is a challenge in our very complex society.
Reference
Donne, J. (1624). Meditation 17. Devotions upon emergent occasions. Retrieved from http://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/donne/meditatio…
Finkelman, A. (2016). Leadership and management for nurses: Core Competencies for quality care (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Huston, C. & Marquis, B. (2017). Leadership Roles and Management: Functions in Nursing (9th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer.
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