Conflict Resolution in Nursing: Practical Strategies to Use

High stressed environment like healthcare can create big conflicts that nursing leaders need to address on time. Stress in health settings can be from high pressure, complex cases, and demanding tasks.

Don’t forget the long hours, understaffing, and the emotional burden of patient care, which all can contribute to burnout and stress.

Managing and resolving conflicts between nursing peers  and patients is one of the effective duties of a leader.

Nurses and healthcare staff commonly face challenges that can lead to disagreements, miscommunication, and misunderstandings.

When you don’t solve this on time, these conflicts can affect patient care, team relationships, and overall job satisfaction.

Knowing how to create an effective conflict resolution strategy as a leader is important for maintaining a positive work environment. And you know, this would mean the quality of patient care would likely improve.

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Conflict Management in Nursing

What is Conflict management in nursing? Simply, Conflict management or Conflict resolution in nursing means addressing and resolving disputes among nursing staff, other healthcare workers, or patients.

For nursing leaders, this involves using leadership strategies to maintain a positive work atmosphere, ensuring patients are safe, and promoting teamwork.

The goal is to use effective conflict management to improve job satisfaction and care quality.

People have different personalities, their inherent biases, beliefs, or views, and knowing this means conflict can be as a result of opposing characters.

Why Conflicts Occur in Healthcare

In busy hospital wards and healthcare settings, conflicts often emerge due to:

• Heavy workloads and time pressures
• Different approaches to patient care
• Communication breakdowns during shift handovers
• Varying levels of experience and expertise
• Resource limitations
• Interpersonal differences
• Stress and fatigue

As a leader, it’s important to help solve problems when nurses or patients don’t get along.

By listening to everyone’s side and understanding how they feel, the leader can help them talk things out and find a solution that makes everyone happy.

Recognising Early Warning Signs

Recognising early warning signs of conflict in healthcare setting can help stop them from getting worse. To resolve conflicts early, Nurse leaders should look out for:

• When nursing staff stop talking to each other like they usually do.
• If there’s more stress when passing information between shifts.
• If some team members are being avoided.
• If someone is acting in a passive-aggressive way (like saying one thing but meaning another).
• When teamwork starts to go down and people aren’t helping each other as much.
• Negative body language, like crossing arms or avoiding eye contact.
• If small groups start forming, leaving others out. You don’t want gangs and groups to spring up between nursing staff.

Noticing these signs early can help solve problems before they become bigger.

Four Effective Conflict Resolution Strategies

1. The PAUSE Approach

When faced with conflict as a leader, remember to PAUSE:

• Pause and take a deep breath
• Acknowledge the issue exists
• Understand all perspectives
• Seek common ground
• Engage in constructive dialogue

2. Active Listening

• Give your full attention
• Maintain eye contact
• Use encouraging phrases
• Avoid interrupting
• Reflect back what you’ve heard

3. Professional Communication

Use the SHARE method:

• State your concerns clearly
• Highlight specific examples
• Avoid blame language
• Request input from others
• Establish next steps together

4. Finding Common Ground

Remember that everyone shares the same ultimate goal: providing excellent patient care. Use this as a foundation for:

• Building mutual understanding
• Finding shared solutions
• Creating collaborative approaches
• Developing team unity
• Improving work processes

Practical Steps for Conflict Resolution

1. Address Issues Promptly Don’t let conflicts fester. The earlier you address them, the easier they are to resolve.
2. Choose the Right Time and Place Find a private space away from patients and other staff members. Ensure you have enough time for a proper discussion.
3. Use “I” Statements Instead of “You always hand over late,” try “I feel concerned when handovers are delayed because it impacts patient care.”
4. Focus on Facts Stick to specific situations and avoid generalisations. Document incidents if necessary.
5. Seek Solutions Together Encourage collaborative problem-solving and be open to compromise.

The Nursing CARE Approach to Conflict Resolution

C – Connect

• Choose the right moment
• Find a private space
• Show willingness to listen
• Maintain professional composure

A – Address

• State concerns clearly
• Focus on specific situations
• Use “I” statements
• Avoid blame language

R – Respond

• Listen actively
• Acknowledge feelings
• Seek understanding
• Propose solutions

E – Establish

• Agree on action points
• Document decisions
• Set review timelines
• Follow up consistently

For nursing leaders, when tensions rise, remember CALM for conflict resolution:

1. Clarify the issue: Make sure you understand the problem clearly before addressing it.
2. Ask for perspectives: Listen to everyone’s point of view to get the full picture of the conflict.
3. Listen actively: Pay close attention, show empathy, and acknowledge everyone’s feelings.
4. Make an action plan: Work together to create a solution and outline the steps to resolve the issue.

Using CALM helps everyone work together and solve problems in a peaceful way.

Conflict Resolution Checklist for Nurse Leaders

Before addressing a conflict, check:

• Is this the right time and place?
• Am I in the right emotional state?
• Do I have all the facts?
• Have I considered other perspectives?
• What is my desired outcome?
• What solutions can I suggest?

Checklist on resolving conflicts for managers

Step	Question to Ask	Done? (✓/✘)
1. Right Time and Place	Is this the right time and place to address the conflict?
2. Emotional State	Am I in the right emotional state to handle this conflict calmly?
3. Facts and Information	Do I have all the facts needed to understand the issue?
4. Consider Other Perspectives	Have I considered other perspectives and viewpoints?
5. Desired Outcome	What is my desired outcome for resolving this conflict?
6. Possible Solutions	What solutions can I suggest to resolve the conflict?
7. Action Plan	Can I develop a clear action plan for resolving the conflict effectively?

This checklist helps nurse leaders think through the right steps to take and ensure they are prepared to resolve conflicts in a calm, thoughtful way.

Nursing Leadership in Conflict Resolution

For Charge Nurses:

• Lead by example and communicate professionally.
• Have an open-door policy so the team feels comfortable talking.
• Be fair and consistent with everyone.
• Write down conflicts and how they were solved.
• Support the development of the team.

For Staff Nurses:

• Be aware of your own feelings and actions.
• Keep professional boundaries with others.
• Ask for help when you need it.
• Help create a positive atmosphere in the ward.
• Share what you’ve learned to help others.

Preventing Conflicts in Nursing Practice

Daily Practices:

• Have clear handover processes to pass on important information.
• Hold regular team meetings to keep everyone updated.
• Make sure care plans are always up to date.
• Write down everything properly in patient records.
• Keep communication open with the team.

Team Building:

• Have regular ward meetings to talk as a group.
• Share learning sessions to help everyone grow.
• Build peer support systems where colleagues help each other.
• Encourage social connections between team members.
• Offer professional development opportunities to improve skills.

When to Escalate

Ask for senior support when:

• Patient safety is at risk.
• Professional boundaries are not respected.
• The same problem keeps happening.
• Attempts to solve the problem don’t work.
• There’s a lot of emotional distress that needs attention.

Real Nursing Scenarios and Solutions

Scenario 1: Medication Round Conflict

Situation: Senior nurse Anna and newly qualified nurse James disagree about pain medication timing for multiple patients.

Resolution:

1. Private discussion during quiet time
2. Review of ward pain management protocol
3. Agreement on priority assessment
4. Creation of structured medication schedule
5. Regular check-ins to review effectiveness

Scenario 2: Ward Round Communication

Situation: Conflict between nursing team and medical staff over ward round timing and preparation.

Resolution:

1. Joint meeting between nurse in charge and medical lead
2. Development of ward round checklist
3. Agreed preparation time
4. Clear communication channels
5. Regular review of process

👉Blogpost: Learn key methods for effective communicate with other staff.

Scenario 3: Night Shift Handover

Situation: Morning shift nurses receiving incomplete information about overnight events.

Resolution:

1. Implementation of standardized handover tool
2. Protected handover time
3. Cross-checking system
4. Regular team feedback
5. Monthly review of effectiveness

👉 Related: How to write a good handover note – Check out these tips.

Supporting Positive Team Dynamics

Regular Team Building

• Schedule regular team meetings.
• Create opportunities for informal interaction.
• Celebrate team successes.
• Share learning experiences.
• Encourage peer support.

Clear Communication Channels

Establish clear processes for:

• Raising concerns.
• Sharing information.
• Providing feedback.
• Requesting support.
• Documenting decisions.

When to Seek Additional Support

Do not hesitate to involve others when:

• Conflicts persist despite attempts to resolve them.
• Patient safety might be compromised.
• Professional boundaries are crossed.
• Emotional distress is significant.

Resources available include:

• Line managers
• HR department
• Union representatives
• Occupational health
• Staff support services

Preventing Future Conflicts

Build a positive team culture by:

• Establishing clear expectations
• Maintaining open communication
• Providing regular feedback
• Supporting professional development
• Recognising good practice
• Addressing issues promptly

These steps help with conflict resolution in nursing, making the team work better together.

Learning from Conflict

Every conflict presents an opportunity to:

• Improve processes.
• Strengthen relationships.
• Enhance communication.
• Develop professional skills.
• Build team resilience.

Conclusion

For nursing leaders, conflict resolution in health settings requires patience, understanding, and commitment. Using the right skills and tool are important to create more positive work environments, improve job satisfaction, and ultimately provide better patient care.

In healthcare settings, we often contend with different viewpoints and challenging situations that can create tension between colleagues. This is mostly true in nursing, where we work in sensitive, high-pressure conditions.

In situations like this, using the CALM approach (Clarify, Ask, Listen, Make an action plan) helps us tackle these situations professionally and effectively.

When we notice possible conflicts early and address them with understanding, we create better outcomes for both our teams and our patients.

For nursing leaders, taking prompt action is vital. By dealing with disagreements early, showing empathy, and encouraging open discussion, we can:

• Maintain high standards of patient care
• Support staff wellbeing
• Build stronger team relationships
• Create a more positive ward environment

Remember, good leadership in difficult situations helps everyone work better together. This means our patients receive the best possible care, while our staff feel supported and valued in their roles.

If you need support with managing workplace conflicts, speak with your line manager or contact your Trust’s staff support services.