CASE SCENARIO
A Nurse Manager’s Role in Resolving Conflict
Situation
As the nurse manager of a 30-bed surgical unit, AM facilitates the unit’s daily interdisciplinary rounds (IDR) during which multiple disciplines convene to collaborate and discuss effective treatment interventions and discharge plans for each patient. The IDR participants include the unit nurses, physicians, physical therapist, dietician, and care coordinator. During the discussion of a specific patient who for the last couple of days has been having breakthrough postoperative pain, the primary nurse suggests increasing the dose of the patient’s pain medication or treating the patient with an additional pain medication because the patient’s current pain medication, Percocet, has not been controlling the patient’s pain throughout the day. This is the second shift the primary nurse has cared for the patient; thus, the nurse has witnessed the patient’s breakthrough pain on more than one occasion. The physician disagrees with the primary nurse’s suggestion and indicates the current pain management regimen should be more than enough to control the patient’s pain. The physician refuses to add another pain medication to the patient’s treatment plan and requests moving on to discuss the next patient. What should AM do as the facilitator of the IDR meeting?
Approach
Having been a nurse manager for over 10 years, AM has facilitated many IDR meetings and experienced all types of conflict situations in the work environment. Fortunately, AM is well-versed in various styles of conflict management and has implemented different styles to resolve conflict, depending on the situation. In this particular example, the unit IDR meeting is running over on time, with more than half of the patients still requiring discussion. As such, AM has decided to utilize the compromising style of conflict management that seeks to find a middle ground between involved parties.
Outcome
To resolve most conflicts, AM typically prefers utilizing the collaborating style of conflict management that focuses on having all participants provide their perspectives on the situation to come up with a mutual resolution. Nonetheless, as time is not permitting, AM decides to employ the compromising style to facilitate IDR flow. AM interjects the conversation, reiterates the patient’s more than one instance of breakthrough pain, and suggests the physician reassess the patient’s pain status after IDR. The decision to either increase the patient’s pain medication dosage or add another pain reliever to treat the patient’s breakthrough pain can be determined after patient reassessment.
Discussion Questions
(the first question is in relation to the above Case scenario; the other two are not)
1. What type of conflict best describes the listed situation? Name another conflict management style AM could have utilized to manage the situation. List three healthcare-related consequences that could occur from poorly managed conflicts
2 Why is it important for nurse leaders to develop health data literacy?
3 Discuss application of complexity leadership and the contributing influence on quality and safety. Describe what factors most influence spread, sustain, and scale and how you might modify those factors as they relate to quality and safety.
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
In this assignment, we will discuss the case scenario of a nurse manager’s role in resolving conflict. We will also address questions related to conflict management, nurse leaders’ health data literacy, and the application of complexity leadership in healthcare.
1. What type of conflict best describes the listed situation? Name another conflict management style AM could have utilized to manage the situation. List three healthcare-related consequences that could occur from poorly managed conflicts.
The conflict presented in the scenario can be described as a substantive or task-related conflict. It arises from a disagreement between the primary nurse and the physician regarding the appropriate pain management for a specific patient. Another conflict management style that the nurse manager, AM, could have utilized is the collaborating style. This style encourages open communication and problem-solving among the involved parties to achieve a mutually satisfactory resolution.
Three healthcare-related consequences that can arise from poorly managed conflicts include:
a) Negative impact on patient care: Poorly managed conflicts can lead to miscommunication, decreased collaboration, and compromised patient care. In this case, the patient’s pain may continue to be inadequately managed, potentially causing unnecessary suffering and prolonged recovery.
b) Decreased staff morale: When conflicts are not effectively addressed, it can create a hostile work environment and negatively impact staff morale. This can lead to decreased job satisfaction, increased turnover, and recruitment challenges.
c) Diminished teamwork and collaboration: Conflicts that are not properly managed can result in decreased trust, communication breakdowns, and reduced teamwork among healthcare professionals. This can hinder effective coordination of care, interprofessional collaboration, and ultimately compromise patient outcomes.
2. Why is it important for nurse leaders to develop health data literacy?
Nurse leaders need to develop health data literacy because of the increasing reliance on data-driven decision-making in healthcare. Health data literacy refers to the ability to understand, interpret, and use health-related data effectively to inform decision-making, quality improvement, and patient care.
Some reasons why nurse leaders should develop health data literacy include:
a) Evidence-based practice: Health data plays a crucial role in promoting evidence-based practice. By understanding and analyzing health data, nurse leaders can identify trends, patterns, and best practices, enabling them to make informed decisions about patient care, quality improvement initiatives, and resource allocation.
b) Performance evaluation and quality improvement: Health data often provides valuable insights into the performance of healthcare organizations, individual practitioners, and care processes. Nurse leaders with health data literacy can use this information to identify areas for improvement, set performance targets, and implement evidence-based interventions to enhance outcomes and patient safety.
c) Advocacy and policy development: Nurse leaders play a vital role in advocating for patients, healthcare providers, and the profession as a whole. By understanding health data, they can effectively communicate the impact of policies, interventions, and resource allocation decisions on patient outcomes. This enables them to influence healthcare policies, drive quality improvement initiatives, and champion patient-centered care.
3. Discuss the application of complexity leadership and the contributing influence on quality and safety. Describe what factors most influence spread, sustain, and scale, and how you might modify those factors as they relate to quality and safety.
Complexity leadership is a leadership framework that recognizes the complexity and interconnectedness of healthcare systems. It promotes adaptive leadership behaviors, collaboration, and collective sense-making to address the dynamic challenges faced by healthcare organizations.
The application of complexity leadership in healthcare has a significant influence on quality and safety. It fosters a culture of shared responsibility, interprofessional collaboration, and innovation, which are essential for improving outcomes and patient safety.
Factors that most influence spread, sustain, and scale in the application of complexity leadership include:
a) Leadership buy-in and support: To spread and sustain complexity leadership, healthcare organizations need committed leaders who recognize its value and actively support its implementation. Leadership support can be fostered through education, training, and creating opportunities for leaders to actively participate in complexity leadership initiatives.
b) Organizational culture: A supportive organizational culture that values collaboration, continuous learning, and adaptive problem-solving is crucial for the spread and sustainment of complexity leadership. This culture can be nurtured through clear communication, shared decision-making, and recognizing and rewarding interdisciplinary teamwork and innovation.
c) Resources and infrastructure: Sustaining and scaling complexity leadership require appropriate allocation of resources, including financial, technological, and human resources. Adequate infrastructure, such as data systems and communication platforms, is essential for facilitating collaboration, information sharing, and collective sense-making.
To modify these factors for better quality and safety outcomes, healthcare organizations can:
– Invest in leadership development programs that specifically focus on complexity leadership behaviors and skills.
– Foster a culture of psychological safety where healthcare professionals feel empowered to voice concerns, share ideas, and engage in collaborative problem-solving.
– Allocate resources for ongoing evaluation and research to assess the impact of complexity leadership on quality and safety outcomes.
– Incorporate complexity leadership principles and practices into quality improvement initiatives and patient safety programs.
– Promote interdisciplinary collaboration through the establishment of shared governance structures, interprofessional education, and collaborative practice models.
By modifying these factors, healthcare organizations can enhance the application of complexity leadership and its influence on improving quality and safety in patient care.
