[Sharon]

Think of a conflict you were involved in at work. Provide a brief overview of your conflict. What resolution technique would have helped in your situation? Did the conflict ever get resolved and if so, how?

[Cheryl]

I was involved in a conflict where a supervisory staff had an extreme distaste for a PSW. The PSW had went to her with a reasonable request and the supervisory staff dismissed her request based on “not wanting to give in to her.” Sat down with the supervisor and set aside the fact the she did not “like” the staff and reviewed the initial request that was not unreasonable. After realizing that she could not deny the request she went ahead and did the right thing with this staff. We met again afterwards and reinforced that doing the right thing should feel good and she agreed. Also met with the supervisor and the staff to “air out their grievances” in a non-judgmental and productive manner with the goal of reaching some resolution. This was very successful and the 2 staff actually joke together and have much better rapport. It was very uncomfortable to go through but very worth it in the end.

[Jamie]

This is such a difficult situation to be in. Its very awkward when coworkers do not get along, especially where their is a power difference in their positions. Its great that this ended up working out with them and sounds like you did a great job getting them to resolve their personal conflict. I’m sure if you didn’t go the extra mile to get to the core of the issue (their poor relationship) then this would have resulted in many more conflicts that could have been avoided.

[Tammy]

my lead co worker are fairly new at working side by side. there is a generational gap along with different areas of expertise. we both felt like there was not a lot of trust and follow through. we met together and admitted we were both struggling working along side each other. we each spoke of our concerns, where we struggled and both had ideas on improvement on our communication strategies. we both could see where each other was coming from. it helped alot.

[Marion Catherine]

Hi Tammy, it is challenging to work with inter-generational team members! In reading your post, I felt that there was a sincere willingness to learn from each other. This I think is the key to any challenging situation and being willing to accept the other’s point of view and experience speaks volumes to professionalism. Albeit, mutual respect and understanding is not always an easy thing to get to.

[Shea]

Hello,

It sounds like you both handled the situation really well by being honest and open. I can relate—acknowledging struggles and actively listening to each other’s perspectives really helps build trust and improves teamwork. It’s great that you came up with communication strategies together and were able to understand where each other was coming from.

[Adeline]

Hi Tammy,

I agree with you that communication is very essential in conflict resolution because it helps us understand the areas we may need to work on. It also plays an important role in resolving and minimizing conflict in the workplace.

[Stephanie]

You and your lead coworker faced a lack of trust and poor follow-through due to a generational gap and different areas of expertise. By Confronting the issue head-on and admitting you were both struggling, you moved away from Avoiding the problem and toward a real solution. Through open communication, you used Collaborating to share your concerns and create new strategies together. This helped you both see each other’s perspectives and build the trust needed to work effectively as a team.

[Marion Catherine]

As a fairly new (1.6 months) RPN, I work with some very seasoned PSW’s who know the unit well and keep it running on time. I had asked one PSW in particular to assist me with some care that a resident needed. The PSW said that wasn’t her assigned resident and said she was too busy with her own work to help out. The care had to wait because a 2-person transfer was required.

At the break, I asked this PSW if there was an unspoken code among the PSWs on the unit that they would not interfere with each others’ residents. She said no they work as a team. Following up on her earlier comments I asked her to explain why she said what she did. She got upset and said I am on my break.
I spoke with the RN who also was experienced with this unit and asked for their advice. I was informed that this resident in the past had a responsive behaviour when receiving care and this PSW was injured.
Knowing this background, I re-approached the PSW, advised her that I had consulted with the RN who advised me of the history. I expressed my understanding of her reluctance to assist with this resident’s care and asked her that if there was ever another situation that she was uncomfortable with to please let me know right away.
The conflict was resolved by further inquiry with the RN.

[Jaswinder]

Thanks Marion sharing your experience.
Your situation shows how miscommunication occur in busy nursing environment. Initially, it seemed like PSW was unhelpful but later it became clear there was a safety concern behind her refusal to help. In my opinion, this situation shows how important to ask questions and avoid making snap judgements. In my opinion, you handled the situation very well by discussing the situation with RN and then politely approaching the PSW. This helped resolve the conflict with clear understanding, effective communication and teamwork.

[Linda]

Great investigative skills there! This could have been a situation that was easily put off on the PSW being difficult, and then wasn’t spoken of again. Instead you chanced conflict and pressed her for more info. You then decided to push further and find out what the real reason for her lack of team approach was. Being able to see things from a different light made the conflict worthwhile.

[Erin]

I had applied to a different LTC facility after being at my job since a nursing student. One of the questions asked was how I would deal with senior staff with strong personalities. My answer was that I work as a team and find each persons working style and adjust how I confront situations. Despite the large personalities I’ve encountered, we all have one important thing in common, we’re there for our residents/patients.

[Margaret]

I like how you focused on teamwork despite the strong personality involved. In situations like that, it can be easy to become defensive, but choosing to collaborate helps maintain a positive work environment and keeps patient care the priority. Your approach shows emotional intelligence and professionalism.

[Deirdre]

Erin,

I totally agree with you and that we sometimes need to put aside out personal issues with other staff etc and focus on the resident/patient and their needs.

[Jaswinder]

At my work during a busy shift I had a conflict with one of my colleague regarding patient assignment. I felt that assignment was unfair because I had more ill patients while my colleague believed that assigning was already done fairly. It was hard for us to talk to each other because we both were upset. We discussed the problem with in charge nurse using simple and clear language like SBAR and worked with the in charge nurse to divide up the work it would have been helpful. Later we said sorry to one another and worked as a team, prioritizing the patient needs ahead even if it was uncomfortable for us to do so.

[Emmaline]

hi jaswinder I think you handled the situation professionally, especially considering that both of you were upset. It wouldn’t have been productive to confront her while emotions were high. Sometimes involving a supervisor is the best approach, because it allows both sides to communicate calmly and reach a decision that supports you, your coworker, and the patient’s well‑being.

[Sarena]

Thank you for sharing. Its a difficult job to begin with, when there’s a conflic with a co workers that makes the communication non existent, it really challenges the shift and creates stress for everyone, you handled it well.

[Terrinah]

I think you handles this well. I am glad you found a solution and apologized to one another. also its important that you stood up for your self and wanted to make sure the work is shared fairly. its safe for everyone when work is shared accordingly.

[Deirdre]

Jaswinder,

That is so great that you were able to discuss the conflict and came to a good, rational understanding.

[Shea]

I once had a conflict at work where a coworker and I disagreed on how to prioritize patient care tasks during a busy shift. We both felt our approach was the most effective, which led to tension and miscommunication. I think using active listening and collaborative problem solving would have helped us better understand each other’s perspective and find a compromise. Eventually, the conflict was resolved after we sat down, discussed our concerns openly, and agreed on a shared plan for task management moving forward.

[Shannon]

I have also had similar conflicts like you mentionned. The Psws and I made an AM care list for our residents. It prioritized their wishes and how they were waking up at home. Also if they were a fall risk or on certain medications. Staff all provided their input and the list was made. Since implimentation, this one PSW went against it and stated she knows what her residents want. We had several discussions about this and had conflicting ideas.
We resolved this by openly communicating again in a meeting with the other staff and allowing everyone’s input. When she then tried to do what she wanted again, I then went to management to help resolve the ongoing conflict.

[Sharon]

I had a conflict at work where two PSW’s were upset because they believed that they were assigned the two most difficult clients. It was one of those situations where we had medically fragile clients and had a mix of in house and agency staff so I had no other choice. I explained to them that I do understand their concerns however our current clients are medically fragile and require close supervision, attention and care throughout the day. Since our in house PSW’S were already familiar with the care/needs of each of these clients it makes the most sense. I explained the situations and circumstances to them, even letting them know that this is also a complement to them in that I have the utmost trust and believe that they are competent in handling the clients need. They both understood my reasoning and agreed that it was best for the clients safety. The goal is for the clients to receive effective ,quality and enhanced care for the duration of their stay. It was a good collaborative effort with all parties involve working together to find a solution that we were all comfortable with.

[Kellie]

I think as an RPN, managing the different personalities and work ethics of the PSWs is very challenging. Seasoned ones think the younger are lazy and won’t listen and the younger/newer think that the seasoned ones are too bossy. It is challenging managing this wile expressing the importance of resident needs.

[Emmaline]

I experienced a conflict at work when our manager assigned specific tasks to each staff member. However, one of my coworkers repeatedly tried to push her assigned task onto me. At first, I helped her because I believe in being a supportive team player. But over time, I realized that every shift we worked together, she continued to pass the same task onto me.

To resolve the issue, I used a direct but respectful confrontation technique. I explained to her that I would no longer be completing that task for her because I had my own responsibilities that I needed to fulfill. She became upset at first, but eventually she accepted it and agreed to complete her own assigned duties moving forward.

[Brittany]

Good for you for confronting her and not letting her walk all over you. It’s one thing for someone to pass off work occasionally, but when it happens frequently, it becomes exhausting and creates unnecessary tension. It takes a lot of courage to stand up for yourself!

[Angusami]

I encountered a workplace situation involving a disagreement between two staff members regarding the amount of time required to finish each task. One employee worries that another colleague is spending excessive time on each task, causing him/her frustration and unnecessary stress during working hours. We employed a collaborative approach, aiming for both parties to work together to create a mutually agreeable result and attain a win-win solution. By the conclusion of the open discussion, the second staff member consented to adjust his/her work approach regarding time management and task completion. The employee initially raised the concern, valued a colleague’s dedication to the shared objective, and agreed on the resolution.

[Vanessa]

I feel that this example really demonstrates how effective communication can help workers resolve their conflict. By giving both staff members the chance to openly discuss their concerns, they were able to understand each other’s perspectives and work toward a solution that benefited them both. The collaborative approach not only reduced the tension around task completion times but also strengthened their ability to work together. Seeing the second staff member adjust their time‑management approach, and the first employee acknowledge their colleague’s commitment, shows how constructive dialogue can lead to meaningful and positive change in the workplace.

[Vanessa]

A conflict I experienced at work involved an RN who was upset that I always gave report to the incoming night shift before she did. Only one RN came in for nights, and I felt that because she was the RN, she should give report last in case the incoming nurse needed to follow up with her about anything clinical. However, the RN I worked with felt frustrated because this often caused her to leave late, which became a recurring point of tension.
A resolution technique that would have helped in this situation was collaboration. By openly discussing our perspectives, we were able to understand each other’s concerns instead of assuming the other person was being difficult. Once we talked it through, we reached a compromise: I would give report last on nights that were less busy and when there was nothing critical that needed to be communicated directly to the incoming RN. This allowed her to leave on time more often while still ensuring safe and appropriate handover when needed.
The conflict was resolved through this mutual agreement, and it helped reduce stress for both of us while maintaining good teamwork and safe resident care.

Vanessa, I’m glad you were able to come to an agreeable compromise. I feel you definitely had a valid point in wanting to give report first but the discussion and compromise worked well.

[Brittany]

We recently had several new management-level staff members join our team who had no prior experience in the field. It felt as though everything changed overnight, and not in a good way. I can’t get into detail, but every day I was dreading coming into work because of it. I raised my concerns, but it seemed like they were pushed under the rug. Long story short, the situation could have been eased by something quite simple, as stated in the readings:
“The role of the change agent is to manage the dynamics of the change process, which requires knowledge of the organization, knowledge of the change process, knowledge of the participants in the change process and understanding the feelings of the group undergoing the change. Probably the most important role of the change agent is to maintain communication, momentum and enthusiasm for the project while still managing the process.”
The absence of this approach led to chaos. I confronted my boss about the disconnect, but unfortunately, nothing changed. I am still working to find common ground on this issue. Thankfully, I am gaining valuable insight from this course, and the statement above will stay with me, and I intend to apply it in the future. Communication is key in the change process to those it will affect the most.

[Tammy]

That sounds like a real challenge Brittany and not something to overcome lightly. Sounds like you have done a great job communicating and expressing your concerns. There is nothing worse than dreading going into work ! I agree communication is the key. Hopefully things get better for you.

[Susan]

I encountered an issue in the Emergency Department many years ago. We had a team of very experienced nurses who were working together during a trauma/cardiac arrest. We all know our roles very well and immediately went into action. A physician new to the department who had not developed trust with our staff came in during the resusc and took over from the Team Lead for the arrest, assuming that he knew what to do better than the physician/Team Lead who was actively engaged. He started redirecting what was already working very well, our nursing staff stopped using closed loop communication that is essential in such a situation as they were all overwhelmed with how the treatment changed mid event. We were able to all get through the situation , but a debrief was necessary.
During the debrief, no one was comfortable voicing their concerns to this newer colleague who had a very strong personality. What we needed and received was “real time permission” from the 2nd physician himself, who had recognized after the fact that things had not gone as well as they should have.
He said ” We are a team, we need to work like a well oiled wheel in this type of situation and we all saw that did not go the way it should have today, I need you to walk my through from your perspective what happened today when I walked in” He went to each of us who were involved and discussed what he saw that was working well and gave us all a great opportunity to regroup and explain how we felt with the sudden changes at the critical spot in the event.
This doctor was willing to recognize that his actions may have contributed to the difficulties and learn from our team what would have worked better. We discussed our very specific approach to Trauma’s and Cardiac arrests (ACLS and TNCC) and that not following those systematic steps that we all knew worked, and changing all of our roles mid event contributed to lack of communication which is so vital
This doctor has become one of the doctors that I trust the most in his profession, he grew with our team and continued to be involved in any ongoing education and training, always giving permission for disagreements to be resolved professionally and in the best interests of our patients,

[Linda]

Collaboration:
When I was working on a shift, I ran into a conflict with a co-worker in an uneven work assignment for the night. Our normal way to divide assignments is to split the department into two sides. I didn’t think it was fair that I was being given a patient off of her side when my side was already full. I asked my charge nurse why and was told that because the patient was in need of a naso-gastric tube and then was being sent to surgery within the next few hours that the other employee felt uncomfortable taking them. She hadn’t had a lot of surgical admits and was unfamiliar with the paperwork, and she was new at dealing with naso-gastric tubes. I maintained that we are both RPNs and that all of this was within our scope of practice at this hospital. She felt that she couldn’t give the same level of care for the patient. I countered that my patient load would have 2 additional patients to hers, which may compromise my level of care as well.
Through this conflict we chose collaboration to help solve this. I offered to take the patient in her side while she took an easier patient on my side. I also included her in the insertion of the naso-gastric tube so that she could gain more confidence in her practice.

[Lisa]

I love this example, although I do not work in a hospital setting I have friends that do and I hear that this issue arises quite often.
I think it is great that you could negotiate a more fair shift assignment that worked for you and the other RPN. I also think it was great
of you to offer the learning opportunity to her. Great job!

[Freda]

I agree with Lisa this is a great example of conflict resolution. You did a great job Linda of advocating for yourself, the patients and supporting your colleague in the process. A win win for everyone really and good for you for involving your colleague in the insertion process. A true mentoring opportunity.

[Lisa]

A conflict that arose during a shift at work was that PSW1 found PSW2 not pulling her weight. PSW1 reported to me that she was upset because PSW2 had started serving drinks 30 minutes prior to meal service while there were still a few residents that needed AM care complete. After talking with PSW2 she stated she was not aware of the situation. I reminded both PSWs that we needed to remember the bigger picture and that we need to provide the best outcome and care for our residents. I encouraged PSW1 to ask for help when needed and asked PSW2 to check in with her teammates prior to meals as well as reminded her of the appropriate meal times. This is an example of collaboration technique as we are all working together for a common goal.

[Jamie]

One conflict I can think of where a conflict has occurred at work that maybe wasn’t resolved in the best way would be when I was somewhat new in my position. Being newer compared to my colleague, I felt like I couldn’t freely express my opinions on their method of working. As far as I had known, their method worked since they had been using it thus far so who was I to try to change things?
In the end when I was trying to work and organize things according to their process it was not working for me, I had other ideas that I felt would be more productive, and time effective. I continued to use avoidance by not bringing up my ideas and trying to follow their process. This resulted in very low productivity for myself.
In this conflict I used avoidance and accommodation to not ruffle any feathers being the newest staff. I should have brought in collaboration, this could have resulted in a good discussion around how to better manage both of our time and in the end would have resulted in less stress.

[Freda]

A conflict I experienced some time ago but still resonates with me today involved a staff struggling with a particular charge nurse. This particular PSW was also a nursing student in her second year of education. In this scenario she felt she was being treated inappropriately by the charge nurse. The expectations placed on her as a novice PSW and lack of mentoring taking place eventually had her not wanting to come into work. She attempted to address the interprofessional conflict directly with the nurse but was dismissed. Her frustration increased and she started calling in sick every time the nurse was working. Eventually she shared her experience with me and I supported her in going to management. What is unfortunate about this scenario is that the conflict wasn’t managed in a productive and fair manner and the PSW eventually resigned and withdrew from nursing as well. In reference to our readings it was clear that there was no positive outcome even if a conflict resolution technique was attempted.

[Aysha]

I really appreciate what you have tried. I have experienced such issue when I was in my PN consolidation. It is really heard when the preceptor or the supervisor is making things harder for the students/ new hires. I wasn’t strong enough or aware to confront that time. But now, I have learned that we should confront when someone is treating others unethically or creating conflict unreasonably. After reading this week materials, I gained more confidence that we should confront immediately so that no one feels threatened or hesitate to work with others.

[Aysha]

The conflict I experienced was with one of my RN supervisors, who took a new position at the workplace. She started changing things and delegating to RPNs without any collaboration or without proper communication. The RN asked me to review the need for antipsychotic medications for all the residents at the Home/LTC. She just asked to complete DOS for all the residents and let her know the need as she will inform the MD to reduce the antipsychotic use eventually. This would be time consuming and PSW staff won’t be able to complete 10 DOS in one shift where each unit have at least 28-30 residents.
In addition, only DOS results can’t verify the need of the antipsychotics. As a BSO nurse, I have to review all behavior notes, the DOS, the routine and PRN administrations for three months. And then I will be able to give my review for the need of the antipsychotics. Moreover, we have our existing assignments to f/u each day.
The assignment created huge tension between BSO team members and the RN.
I decided to communicate with the RN and explain the process in detail which helped to change her thought/understanding. The resolution technique that helped was negotiation. We settled that we would do 3-4 DOSs in each unit per week and eventually we will be able to review all the residents who are with antipsychotics.

[Thea]

Hi Aysha,
Your example shows a real challenge in long-term care, especially when changes happen without a full understanding of the workflow and scope. You did a great job standing up for yourself, your team, and the residents. By clearly explaining how complex the BSO role is through reviews of behaviour notes, medications, and patterns over time, you helped the RN see that the first request was impractical and clinically insufficient.

I agree that negotiating was a good way to handle this situation. Rather than just saying no, you worked together to find a safer and more realistic plan. By completing a few DOS assessments each week, you made the workload manageable while still keeping the goal of reviewing antipsychotic use in mind.

This situation also shows how important communication and teamwork are in leadership. Your approach helped lower tension, improve understanding, and support better care for residents.

[Adeline]

I encountered a situation in a supervisory role where two staff members who were paired to work together had a conflict. One staff member was avoiding the other and did not want to work with them. She also spoke very rudely, which caused the other staff member to become upset and cry.
I called both of them in, communicated with them, and worked to resolve the issue. Using a collaborative conflict resolution style proved effective. The staff member who had been avoiding the other explained her reasons, and both individuals discussed their differences openly. They became emotional during the conversation, but it allowed them to express their feelings.
I emphasized the importance of working collaboratively to achieve a common goal by the end of the shift. They understood this and were able to work together afterward.
Sometimes, conflict is simply the result of miscommunication and can be resolved with open and honest dialogue.

[Nathalia]

HI Adeline,

I agree with your collaborative approach. When trying to reach the same goal, sometimes is better to bring forth the differences and concerns so that the goal may be achieved. I find myself in similar scenarios with my staff were they come from different backgrounds and arriving on time means different things to both. Some staff begin to have favourite partners and some not so favourite due to their behaviours. When possible i review schedules with staff, travel time and clients care plan to follow up on the timing concerns. Once all areas are considered, some adjustments may be made to ensure staff arrive at an adequate time to start care with their partners. Ensuring that staff are being heard and are involved increased the rate of success at a performance level while building a positive environment.

[Leah]

I was new to a unit working a part time and my full timer was nice at first. We had an agreement that they’d do the coding on their shifts as they was more familiar with the system/residents and worked more days than I did. I was dealing with a lot of un-witnessed falls, family member drama, short staffing and other tasks that took priority on my shift. It was working for awhile, they were understanding until they went to our unit manager and told them they were tired of picking up my slack. I was hurt, I felt betrayed because a lot of things were out of my control and there was evidence on POC that I had the busiest shifts out of all the nurses there. The union had gotten involved too since my full timer started texting me outside of work, harassing me about my job. I had wished that we could have collaborated on fixing the issues, if my full timer had talked to me first before going to management, I would have had a chance to work together, but instead it caused chaos. I learned from this and with another unit, I made sure to collaborate with the next full timer and thankfully, we were able to maintain a better relationship.

[Katrina]

I understand your frustration, as we can be mentally and physically drowning in our tasks, that all we need is support from other nurses. I agree that if only the issues was collaboratively talked about right away, probably the union would of been avoided and harassed outside of work could of also been avoided. It is also difficult too to discuss issues right away when your priority is to complete all your duties as a nurse for that shift. Question is, when are you able to find time to address the issue right away? I think another solution would be is to just take a couple minutes in that moment to ask the other nurse if they can discuss this issue at a later time. At least then you would be able to address the conflict right away, but then agree to make time to continue with the discussion in a respectful and professional manner.

[Jovelisa]

I have learned something at work years ago. A colleague applied for a job that she realized she could not handle the stress of the routine, on the first week. She was coming into the shift making loud negative remarks regarding her new routine. This negative remarks though probably to her it is just a ‘letting out steam’ but to me it was a sign of a worker who is stressed out. I thought to myself, how could I help her. I suggested to her if we could exchange routines. With no hesitations, she agreed. After about 3 months, I asked her if we could now go back to our original routines for three months and rotate again. This colleague appear alarmed, she said “I do not feel we should rotate, I am so used to what I am doing, I am concern and it is not a good idea…..” , she made number of reasons to make the situation difficult and consulted an RN. The working situation became awkward between us while this was going on. It appeared she would not budge and stood her ground. I relented, I just let the situation go and did not press on the issue any further.

I recognize my mistakes in the situation.

1. I did not consult the charge nurse/management/Union prior to suggesting the routine change
2. I did not make it clear or made a consensual agreement to my colleague that the exchange is only for a certain period of time….

As always, like my previous conflicts, I let the issue rest. I never uttered a word about the rotating routines. She got to keep doing my original routine and I kept doing hers. We are friends and are working side by side. I learned from it. Next time, I will make sure to acquire a mutual agreement of a timeline, to involve/notify the proper people for consent/approval.

For a very short period (less than 4 months), I had a supervisor who didn’t like or respect me or my workmate in any way. She would assign us the full workload, including her portion, stating she needed to review care plans which was also part of our job. She would write up audits on our work indicating we were doing things wrong (we weren’t) but she really didn’t understand exactly what our job entailed. We never did come to a resolution because she quit when the manager told her that she was responsible for completing her share of the workload, and pushing everything to us wasn’t acceptable.

[Chantelle]

We felt that this example is great because of how a lack of mutualist that can break down a teams dynamic. It’s unfortunate that you have to carry the workload and on top of your own responsibilities. It seems the power and imbalance made it nearly impossible for you to resolve the conflict directly. I’m glad that the manager eventually helped her accountable.

[Stephanie]

I was caught in a difficult situation where the PSWs were expecting me to help with their transfers just as I was falling behind on my own medication pass. This created a clear interpersonal conflict rooted in heavy workloads; they felt unsupported in their physically demanding roles, while I was stressed by the clinical risks of delaying my own duties.
To handle this, I first used Accommodating by stepping in briefly to ensure resident safety during a high-risk lift, which helped smooth over the immediate tension. However, I knew that constantly giving in would lead to me falling further behind, so I moved toward Negotiating. We had a high-level discussion where we addressed my clinical deadlines versus their need for physical assistance. Ultimately, we reached a resolution through Collaborating. We worked together to develop an optimal schedule, identifying specific windows where I could assist with transfers in exchange for them prioritizing certain prep tasks that helped me move faster. This ensured both of our goals were met without leaving anyone feeling like they “lost” the encounter.

[Cheryl]

I like this example. You stepped in when safety mattered, but also knew you couldn’t keep falling behind. Talking it through and working out a plan together was a smart move—it helped both sides feel supported and kept care on track.

[Alexis]

As we know, there are many budget cuts happening within health care at this current time. The text states that nurses see financial goals and client care goals being in direct conflict and I do not think that has ever been truer. A few months ago, a woman whom I had never met, was in our clean supply room, she asked me what we don’t use on this unit in this room that would be acceptable to stop ordering. I expressed in certain situations we use everything in this supply closet, maybe not daily but when we need something, we usually need it within that moment. I expressed how we already don’t have all the supplies we need on this unit and are routinely going to ICU to obtain certain supplies we do have stock. She stated that just wont work and she would need to talk to our manager to get an appropriate answer. It turns out she was working on the budget analysis of our hospital. The resolution that occurred was competing because no matter what I did or said, she was going to win. There had to be budget cuts, there had to be a winner as the budget appears to be top priority at this time as time was short and the stakes are high. The resolution technique that would have helped this situation I think would have been collaboration. We should have had a unit meeting to allow for courtesy in communication. Allowed us to express our concerns and have active communication involving all the unit. We could have all come up with a plan together or as a team decided what items we really don’t use frequently. This would have also allowed for neutral territory, so nobody felt overpowered. By just randomly showing up in the supply closet with no warning, did not allow me to prepare / think about what we really do need day to day and I felt powerless. Unfortunately, my conflict was never resolved. She did go to my manager, and no floor staff was involved on the removal of certain items from our supply room.

[Katrina]

A conflict that occurred was between myself and nurse 1. It was communicated by nurse 2 that an assessment had to be completed for a resident. Nurse 2 communicated that information to nurse 1 and nurse 1 agreed to complete that assessment. Then nurse 1 came and found me and asked to complete that assessment, therefore it made it confusing. I went to nurse 2 and informed me that nurse 1 already went to see the resident, as additional assessments had to be completed. I then informed nurse 1 and mentioned what nurse 2 said to me. Nurse 1 didn’t have an answer, but still did not complete the assessment. I completed the assessment, but was furious that nurse 1 had already seen the resident and there was no valid excuse as to why nurse 1 couldn’t complete the assessment. I left my frustrations to myself and multiple nurses and myself informed management because I was informed this is a common issue on this particular floor. I wished I would of confronted nurse 1 and asked why, instead of letting my frustrations linger. I would also ask management to set up a meeting to help discuss this conflict and come up with a solution, so the issue doesn’t reoccur. Conflict was discussed separately with management, but issue never resolved.

[Leah]

I can see how that was a frustrating situation when the nurse did not communicate with you properly. Its great that you self reflected on the situation that if this were to happen again you’d talk 1 on 1 with the nurse instead of letting your frustrations get the best of you.

[Chantelle]

My coworker and I had a disagreement regarding workload and accountability. During a busy shift, I noticed the colleague was frequently absent from the floor, taking several unscheduled breaks while their assigned task remains unfinished. This created a significant imbalance in the workload, putting extra pressure on the rest of the team and potentially impacting the quality of care provided to our clients. well, it is easy to become frustrated, sitting down with the colleague to discuss why behind the behaviour, uncovered the root causes. She explained that she was burnt out, had personal stress and a misunderstanding of the priorities, by using collaboration, we addressed the lead for teamwork and established clear mutual agreed breaks.

[Erin]

A conflict I encountered was between two shifts, days and nights. The day shift PSW’s brought forward concerns about too many cares being completed during the night and that many residents should not be disturbed during as they have the right to sleep and not be disturbed without reason. The night staff argued that they were proving care to these residents because it was such a big unit and they were just trying to help day shift and ensure residents get adequate care to maintain skin integrity. Together a compromise was made that night shift would only provide care to residents where the care was justified. For example: a resident is incontinent and had saturated their pajamas with the agreement that if it was still early in shift they would provide the care and put them in fresh pajamas, and if it was later in the shift a clean shirt for the day couple be applied.
And day shift could not argue that not enough cares were completed as with only being able to do care on residents that was justifiable, the amount done per night could fluctuate.

[Stephanie]

A conflict that stands out to me is from when I was a newer nurse. I worked many night shifts with a RN that did not always pull her weight and was abrupt with patients in the middle of the night. She would not answer bells leaving me to answer them. She would talk down to me if I was unsure of something and I was a new nurse, so I had lots of questions. I felt like she was rough with patients, not taking the time to explain things when we were providing changes and asking patients why they were incontinent. Another nurse had reported this nurse because of these things, and the nurse thought it was me that reported her (which I was scared to do being new). The nurse cornered me and said that I should talk with her first before reporting her, I stated that I didn’t know what she was talking about. She tried to intimate me, and I am a passive person, avoiding conflict. Looking back now I think negotiating or collaborating, talking through things and concerns I had may have been the better approach instead of avoiding conflict. This nurse soon after retired.

[Samantha]

Hello,

This is such a great reflective answer to this question. I think in every situation we won’t handle conflict well or at all. I like how you mentioned being a passive person, because I think our personality traits also have a huge part in conflict resolution. This is a great example of how much personal development happens ( or can happen) when we learn and reflect on situations.

[Sarena]

This was a resident to resident conflict I experienced that happened between two residents that share a room. One resident likes the TV on loudly most of the day, while the other prefers quiet and becomes irritated by the noise. One afternoon, the situation escalates and they begin arguing, with one resident yelling and the other becoming visibly upset.
I quickly went to the room to de-escalate the situation, speaking calmly to both residents, I listened to each resident’s concerns and validated their feelings. We came to a compromised plan of care, such as using headphones for the TV, or setting quiet times, or possibly exploring a room change if the conflict continues.
Given the difficulty in sharing a space, and different preferences, compromise is always needed for less conflic.
Headphones were an effective solution in the end.

[Shannon]

I had several conflicts when I started working at my old job. I started full time afternoons.
On the unit there were several staff who worked there since the start. Also the building was bought by new owners and a lot of processes changed. The PSWs always viewed the prior way of working better and rejected any changes.
The conflicts included staff taking extra breaks, leaving early, giving me attitude when trying to enforce the policies and procedures.
Viewing me as an instigator instead of part of the team.
In order to resolve this, I spoke to other staff members, management and then sat down with the staff and used open communication and team building exercises to give them information on myself and my experience as well as theirs. Eventually trust building was accomplished and working together as a team.
This did not happen over night and was a process. Not all of the staff liked my process but this allowed us to work together professionally and they realized that I cared for the staff and residents and was a knowledgeable Nurse.

[Samantha]

One conflict that I experienced while working in LTC was with a day nurse who was mentioning to some PSW’s a misinterpretation of how I was doing certain things ( organizing the nurse/med room). The first step that led to the resolution was actually me confronting her. I feel confronting doesn’t need to be a negative or angry approach to take. I just gently brought up what I heard and allowed her time to confirm if she actually felt that way or even said it. She did say she said some of it ,but it wasn’t in the way the PSW’s made the situation feel. She then got to voice her thoughts and I got to explain my rationale for organizing certain things. We ended up compromising and I made some of the changes I requested and she also wanted other items kept a certain way which we did.

[Thea]

I once had a conflict at work when a coworker and I disagreed about which resident care tasks should come first during a busy shift. We each had our own ideas about what was most important, which led to some tension and frustration. We didn’t talk about it openly at the time and just kept working without really sharing our perspectives.

Thinking back, using a collaborative approach would have helped. This means talking openly, respecting each other, and finding a solution that works for everyone. According to Lencioni, teams that avoid conflict often create “artificial harmony,” which can lead to unresolved issues and poorer decisions. In our case, not talking about it kept us from really understanding each other’s reasons.

Later on, we worked things out informally after reflecting on what happened and talking more openly during subsequent shifts. We started discussing our priorities at the beginning of each shift, which helped us work better together and avoid misunderstandings.

This experience showed me that conflict isn’t always a bad thing. If you handle it with respect and honesty, it can actually help people communicate more effectively, work as a team, and better care for patients.

[Nathalia]

I had a situation with a PSW who provides support to a client in a retirement home along with facility staff. I was informed that both staff from my company and facility got into an altercation due to differences in providing care. The manager in the unit intervened and escalated the situation to the facility DOC and myself as the manager of the agency PSW. The staff were arguing the correct approach to provide care for shower to the client. My company staff assessed the clients wellbeing for as soon as she walked and client was experiencing weakness, therefore decided to begin care while in bed as it was not safe for the client to transfer on the sit-to-stand. The facility PSW witnessed the agency PSW providing care in bed and assumed staff was avoiding the shower task by just completing a sponge bath. The assumption got the facility staff to raise her voice at the agency staff and began disputing the lack of care and support of agency staff to try and get off easy. The misunderstanding got escalated during the occurrence and after, leaving nearby staff and clients feeling uneasy due to the exchange. Once i was made aware by my company PSW i was able to listen to both sides of the story to determine the factor for conflict resolution. I spoke with facility DOC and Manager to review both sides of the story and understand that both staff were looking to advocate for the clients wellbeing. However the message was lost when neither of the staff communicated their concerns. If the staff had the opportunity to discuss their different approaches to the scenario, a resolution would’ve been determined which would’ve driven both staff to the same scenario of providing support in bed for the day, until reassessment or improvement was noted. The ability to have healthy discussions about the same goal, provide an opportunity for resolve. When people keep their opinions and then execute, it leaves room for misconceptions and more work to be done in order to arrive to the conclusion. In the end both parties had separate discussions with their employees to inform of the outcome and the steps that could’ve been taken to prevent the conflict. By turning the scenario into a teaching and coaching opportunity the employee was able to see the different points of view of the issue and was able to recognize that conflict could’ve been avoided and resolved if communication strategies were utilized.

[Kellie]

There was a situation where 2 strong willed men were working in the same line of work, one FT and one PT. The FT had been there longer and had a vast resume and experience. He thought that he had a lot to offer. The PT followed the FT day’s off. He was in a slighter lower classification and a slightly lower pay grade. He felt that he does just as much as the FT and should be paid equally. They both felt that they were undermining each other and one day it came to a head. They were both yelling and chest bumping each other (although they denied the severity). They were sat down with HR and a manager and had an opportunity to express their feelings, getting everything off their chests. From that day on, they were able to work professionally and respectfully.

[Margaret]

During a shift, I had a conflict with a colleague about patient care priorities. I felt a resident needed immediate attention, while my colleague wanted to complete scheduled tasks first.

Using open communication, like briefly discussing our concerns and prioritizing together (e.g., SBAR), would have helped reduce the tension.

The conflict was resolved after we calmly reassessed the patient together and agreed to address the urgent need first, then continue with other tasks.

[Olaronke]

I experienced a conflict with another colleagues over communication. Important client updates were not always being shared, which started to create confusion for staff and small gaps in care. I was frustrated and assumed that it was a lack of follow up. While I look back, we should have had an open conversation sooner instead of having assumptions. When we eventually sat down and discussed, it made a difference. We understood each other much better and agreed to clearer ways to communicate, sharing updates more consistently and checking in regularly. This experience reminded me just how important it is to address issues or concerns early, communicate openly and not jump to conclusions.

[Adella]

I must say that I try my best to avoid conflict at all cost. However the one that is continuously raised seems to always revolve around role clarity within my workplace around PHN roles and RPN roles. The conversation comes up ever other year or so it seems and usually results in something within our scope being removed and given to a PHN role.

[Teresa]

I had a mild conflict with another nurse at work. I was assigned to a certain team for 2 days and when this nurse came back from her days off, she requested that same team from the charge nurse to be assigned to her. So when I came in to report for work, my old team was given to her. I went to the charge nurse and explained that “I have that team for 2 days and I got to know the patients well enough and would be beneficial for the patients to have the same nurse for continuity of care”. So I kindly requested the charge nurse to have my team back. The other nurse was not happy but, eventually understood at the end that it is a patient centred care.

[Terrinah]

I had a conflict at work where two PSW’s were upset because they believed that they were assigned the two I witnessed a conflict between two Psws where verbally arguing about which patients to take care of. I as the RPN in charge on the floor I had private meetings with both of The PSW’s and explained to them its not appropriate to argue and they should always find ways to handle situations amicable. I was able to fix the situation for them.

[Teresa]

You handled the situation professionally and effectively.

[Deirdre]

I had a conflict once when working on the med/surg floor at the small rural hospital I work at. There is only a few RN’s on between the med/surg floor and the ED. I got called down to assist with a critical pt that was coming in via ambulance and had coded and CPR was started. It was bedtime and my 7 med/surg patients were stable but needed their bedtime meds. I asked that 3 RPN’s to split up my patients as I went down to assist with the resuscitation.
When I came back up after around 45 minutes 1 of the RPN’s did not take her share of patients that she had been given. I was exhausted from the code and when I initially asked her if she was able to give the meds out she said “no, not yet”. Instead of arguing with her I went on the give my meds so the patients wouldn’t suffer. I then pulled this RPN aside in a private setting and asked her why she didn’t help out. She was obviously done with her assignment as she was sitting at nurse station on her phone. She stated that she thought I was going to be back in time. I explained that this was not the expectation and that the meds were to be given while she had time and while I was downstairs in the ED.
I did not want to make this bigger than it had to be, as I was able to give my meds out at the allotted time period, but it was just frustrating that I was not supported as I go down to help in the ED. This nurse is known for slacking at times and I guess other staff are accommodating her careless practice.
I feel like nurses like this don’t care about the conflict that it causes in other people’s work day and she only cares about herself. Poor team work in my eyes.

[Cheryl]

I was a new nurse who transitioned from PSW to RPN. When I transitioned my seniority moved with me. An RPN that I was friends with became really upset. She started talking about me and stopped talking to me. It got to the point where she wouldn’t even count medications or report off to me. This tension and conflict really affected me and I became really anxious anytime I walked into the building. As much as you try not to allow it to bother you it does. I tried to resolve the conflict by speaking to her which she shut down, then I went to the supervisor and when she was questioned she simply stated she doesn’t have to like everyone. This conflict almost made me look for another job. She ended up leaving to pursue another job. This conflict was never resolved. I am not sure if any conflict resolution would have worked with this individual.

[Author]

Posts