[Sharon]

Think of an example of when you were involved in a work conflict where it was actually a productive conflict. Share your story on the online discussion forum.

[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.

[Marion Catherine]

The scenario described in the first discussion was a productive conflict because the PSW & I discussed the concern further, in a much more informal manner. The PSW expressed that because I was new to the unit, she did not feel safe telling me about the history. She was concerned that I would ask probing questions into the details of that time when she got injured and she didn’t want to go back to that scene .
I thanked her for the honesty and said that I respected her point of view. I also explained that working as a team was an important aspect of my professional work and that being new sometimes was a hinderance to meet the teamwork expectation.
Because our working relationship has become very reliable and trustworthy, I feel this conflict was a productive conflict as it allowed the 2 direct players to learn more about each other and through word of mouth this good ending spread to the rest of the unit whereby the PSWs were including me in the telling of their work related stories

[Shea]

Hello,

I really like how you handled that situation. It’s a great example of a productive conflict by listening, showing respect, and being honest about your perspective, you built trust and strengthened your working relationship. It’s also impressive how that positive outcome extended to the rest of the unit, helping you become more included and improving overall team communication.

[Shea]

A productive conflict I experienced at work happened during a team meeting where we were discussing changes to patient care procedures. A coworker and I had different ideas on the best way to implement the changes, and at first it felt tense. However, instead of avoiding the disagreement, we openly shared our perspectives and asked questions to understand each other’s reasoning. Through the discussion, we combined the best parts of both approaches, which improved the workflow and patient care. The conflict ended up being productive because it encouraged collaboration, better communication, and a stronger solution than either of us would have come up with alone.

[Sharon]

I really liked how you handled that situation Shea. Conflicts, even though viewed negatively most of the time, can lead to positive outcomes if managed effectively.

[Sharon]

I had a dispute with the way one of the new nurses was administering a bolus feed. I thought that it was been pushed too fast she thinks otherwise based on her previous work experiences. I went on to explain the risk associated with the way how it was been done. I also refer her to our company policies and procedures binder. Instead of her taking it personally she agreed to review the company policies and procedures with me on our down time. We even ended up watching a few videos on how to administer different type of feeds. Turned out very productive.

[Jaswinder]

Thanks Sharon sharing your great experience with us. As your situation showed how calmly you expressed your concerns and explained the potential risks that are involved in patient safety. Working together and chose the right method to provide safe care to the patient helped you both to get better.

[Jaswinder]

At my workplace I got into a conflict with my nurse colleague regarding patient discharge planning. My colleague nurse thought patient was ready for discharge while I thought patient needs more education before discharge. At the starting there was a tension at start because we both had strong opinions. We calmly discussed the matter without affecting patient’s condition and our work. To reach a final decision, we involved the healthcare team. We realized that the patient required further teaching and support before discharge. Our conflict ended up being productive because it enhanced patient safety and teamwork.

[Author]

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