Ashley Evans
Nursing Leadership and Management-DAX-DL01
Professor. Carmen Lazo
Discussion Question Week 5
What type of conflict best describes the listed situation? Name another conflict management style AM could have utilized to manage the situation. List two healthcare-related consequences that could occur from poorly managed conflicts.
“Previous studies suggest that several team activities require the participation of all team members” (R.Zakariya,et al, 2022). However, patient advocacy can be given by one worker and a high percentage of times it is given by the nurse.
In this case scenario we have a nurse manager of a 30-bed surgical unit. During the daily IDR (interdisciplinary rounds), nurse AM mentioned that a post op (post operative) patient requested breakthrough pain medication because pain still persists after routine mediation was given of Percocet. The physician feels as if the present order should be more than enough to control pain for surgery performed for patient. After trying to convince the MD (medical doctor) to at least prescribe breakthrough PRN, the physician then disregarded nurse AM’s request and proceeded on to the next patient. Form of conflict that AM is experiencing is task conflict. Task conflict refers to disagreements related to conflict that can hinder goals. tasks and objectives. Examples of task conflict are conflict about distribution of resources, about procedures and policies, and judgment and interpretation of facts. The distribution of breakthrough pain medication was denied by the physician which will delay the goal of pain relief for patient in the post operative phase of hospital stay. A conflict style AM can use to resolve the situation would be
Compromising. This style “demands moderate assertiveness and cooperation from all parties involved” (coursera.org, 2022). With this type of resolution, everyone gets something they want or need. The physician would be willing to give a pain consult order or sometimes this is a standing order if the facility is considered rehab certified. “This style of managing conflict works well when time is limited” (coursera.org, 2022). The IDR meeting was running overtime, and this pain consult can be placed, and patient will have a pain management doctor that specifically works with pain situations to assess the patient and most likely order medication for breakthrough pain. This will make nurse, patient and physician in this scenario satisfied. Because of time constraints, compromising isn’t always as creative as collaborating, and some parties may come away less satisfied than others. But the nurse can work magic with this style to suit all parties involved. Two healthcare related consequences of poor conflict management can result in dysfunctional teamwork and decreased patient satisfaction. If AM would have not come to a resolution, the patient will suffer from pain which can lead to depression and stroke from stress of severe pain. It could also cause low confidence in staff with care not being able to relief patient of pain. Research demonstrates that practicing positive conflict resolution skills can result in improved teamwork, productivity, and patient and employee satisfaction.
Discuss the application of complexity leadership and the contributing influence on quality and safety. Describe 2 factors that most influence spread, sustain, and scale and how you might modify those factors as they relate to quality and safety.
To discuss the application of complexity leadership and the contributing influence on quality and safety. Styles include adaptive, enabling and administrative leadership styles. Adaptive involves leaders who can respond to changing conditions and emerging challenges in real-time. In quality and safety, adaptive leaders encourage continuous learning and improvement, fostering an environment where employees feel empowered to identify and address safety issues proactively. “Enabling leadership type of leadership focuses on creating conditions that allow for innovation and collaboration” (G. Cuofano,2024). By breaking down silos and encouraging cross-functional teamwork, enabling leaders can enhance the spread of best practices in quality and safety across the organization.
Administrative Leadership, while adaptive and enabling leadership focus on flexibility and innovation, administrative leadership provides the necessary structure and processes. This balance ensures that quality and safety initiatives are not only innovative but also sustainable and scalable.
Factors Influencing Spread, Sustain, and Scale
Organizational Culture and resource allocation can be used to relate to quality and safety. A culture that values safety and quality is crucial for spreading and sustaining improvements. To modify this factor, leaders can focus on building a culture of transparency and accountability, where employees are encouraged to report safety concerns without fear of retribution. This can be achieved through regular training, open communication channels, and recognition of safety champions. “Adequate resources, including time, personnel, and technology, are essential for scaling quality and safety initiatives. Leaders can modify this factor by ensuring that resources are aligned with strategic priorities” (G. Cuofano,2024). This might involve reallocating budgets to support safety training programs or investing in technology that enhances quality monitoring and reporting. By focusing on these factors, organizations can effectively spread, sustain, and scale quality and safety improvements, ultimately leading to better outcomes for both employees and customers.
References
Conflict management: Definition, strategies, and styles. (2022, June 16). Coursera.
Zakariya, R., & Muhammad Mehdi Raza Naqvi, S. (2022). Leader instigated task conflict and its effects on employee job crafting, the mediating role of employee attributions.
PloS one,
17(12), e0278329.
Cuofano, G. (2024, April 25).
Complexity leadership. FourWeekMBA.
