Conflict Management in the Hospital Setting: Finding Your Voice

Background Situation

Hospital nurses were experiencing frustration and low morale when dealing with upset patients and family members and physicians who treated them as subordinate subjects. They requested tools and skills to help them deal with these stressful interpersonal conflicts.

Content and Learning Objectives

The following topics were addressed:

• Truths and Myths about Conflict
• Types of Conflicts
• Conflict Resolution Styles – Advantages and Disadvantages
• Identifying Your Conflict Resolution Style
• Obstacles of Conflict Resolution
• Importance of Listening and Questioning Skills
• Models to Resolve Conflict

Learning Process

With communication challenges, people need practice, feedback and coaching to augment theoretical knowledge. All participants attended a 4-hr. awareness session in which they were exposed to concepts, tools and skills. Nurses then participated in a series of small group follow-up “clinics” (2 hrs. each) in which participants practiced conflict resolution skills in “real-plays” and received coaching.

Length

1/2 day + coaching clinics