Question 1

A group of staff nurses is dissatisfied with the new ideas presented by the newly hired nurse manager.The staff wants to keep their old procedures,and they resist the changes.Conflict arises from:

Accepted Answer

The nurse manager should serve as a change agent,assisting others in understanding the importance,necessity,impact,and process of change.

Question 2

The nurse manager is aware that conflict is occurring on her unit; however,she is focused on preparing for a state health department visit,so she ignores the problem.A factor that can increase stress and escalate conflict is:

Accepted Answer

Purposeful avoiding is an appropriate strategy when the conflict is interpersonal and the individuals involved in the conflict have the necessary skills and insight to be able to own the problem and solve it themselves.When these conditions are not present and avoidance is not purposeful,then avoidance can increase stress and escalate conflict.

Question 3

Mrs.Hill,aged 68,was hospitalized after a stroke.The speech therapist recommended that oral feeding be stopped because of her dysplasia.During visiting hours,Mr.Hill fed his wife some noodles.The nurse noticed this and stopped Mr.Hill from feeding his wife,telling him it was the doctor's decision.An hour later,the nurse returned and found Mr.Hill feeding his wife again.The nurse tried to stop him again.Mr.Hill refused and claimed that the clinical staff was trying to starve his wife; he also threatened to get violent with the nurse.The nurse decided to walk away and documented the event in Mrs.Hill's chart.According to Thomas' Four Stages of Conflict,in which stage could the nurse have been more effective?

Accepted Answer

The nurse's actions did not include actions such as clarifying Mr.Hill's views on feeding his wife or on what is necessary to achieve good care for his wife and did not engage in dialogue with Mr.Hill,thus preventing identification of a common goal.The action stage involves a behavioral response such as clarification or dialogue.

Question 4

Factors that influence the ease with which conflict is resolved include all except which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Experience and education do not necessarily contribute to successful conflict resolution.The other factors have been identified in studies as important in resolving conflict.

Question 5

After using a mediator to resolve a conflict between the nurse manager and two staff nurses,the chief nursing officer decides to:

Accepted Answer

The nurse leader should critically analyze organizational issues after a review of the evidence.Following up is important and necessary to maintain conflict resolution.

Question 6

Two staff nurses are arguing about working on holidays.In trying to resolve this conflict,the nurse manager understands that interpersonal conflict arises when:

Accepted Answer

By definition,conflict involves a difference in perception between two or more individuals.

Question 7

In Question 11,the outcome as depicted by Thomas' conflict stages can be considered to be:

Accepted Answer

Resolution was absent because the nurse did not have time to effectively deal with the issues in the conflict,leading to escalation of the conflict.

Question 8

Two nurses on a psychiatric unit come from different backgrounds and have graduated from different universities.They are given a set of new orders from the unit manager.Each nurse displays different emotions in response to the orders.Nurse A indicates that the new orders include too many changes; Nurse B disagrees and verbally indicates why.This step in the process is which of the following in Thomas' Stages of Conflict?

Accepted Answer

Thomas' Stages of Conflict include conceptualization,which involves different ideas and emphasis on what is important or not or about what should occur.

Question 9

John is a circulating nurse in the operating room.He is usually assigned to general surgery,but on this day he is assigned to the orthopedic room.He is unfamiliar with the routines and studies the doctor's preference cards before each patient.The fourth patient comes into the room and John prepares a site for a biopsy using a Betadine solution.The surgeon prefers another solution.He notices what John has done and immediately corrects him by rudely insulting John.Which of the following is the most appropriate approach to conflict resolution in this example?

Accepted Answer

Negotiation must occur for the situation to be rectified.John must apologize for his error,and so must the surgeon for his inappropriate response.Resolution must be accomplished while understanding that time is of importance.This strategy results in each side being appeased to some degree.

Question 10

The CEO of Bow Valley Hospital makes the following statement: "The reason we can't hire any more staff is the lack of government funding." This is a good example of which of the following conditions that propel a situation toward conflict?

Accepted Answer

Healthcare providers want to maximize the quality of care,whereas payers are concerned with minimizing healthcare costs; this exemplifies a conflict between goals.

Question 11

Jane has transferred from ICU to CCU.She is very set in the way she makes assignments and encourages her new peers to adopt this method without sharing the rationale for why it is better.This is a good example of a process and procedure that creates ________ conflict.

Accepted Answer

Interpersonal conflict transpires between and among nurses,physicians,members of other departments,and patients.

Question 12

The nurse manager decides to use a mediator to help resolve the staff's conflict.A basic strategy for truly addressing this conflict is to:

Accepted Answer

The manager must determine if a conflict is constructive or destructive.In this situation,the manager has determined that the conflict is destructive and does not want the conflict to escalate,so has engaged a mediator.

Question 13

Kala,a unit manager,in discussing a role the CEO would like her to perform,makes the following statement,"I will sit on the hospital taskforce on improving morale if you send me to the hospital's leadership training classes next week,so I can further develop my skills and thus be more effective." Which of the following conflict management styles is Kala using?

Accepted Answer

In this particular situation,an exchange of concessions (membership on a committee in return for attendance at a workshop)or trading occurs.This strategy supports a balance of power.

Question 14

Jill is the head nurse on a unit in a large hospital.Two of the staff nurses are constantly arguing and blaming each other,and a resolution has not occurred in months.To solve the existing conflict,which is the most desirable conflict resolution?

Accepted Answer

The collaboration technique has both sides in the conflict working together to develop an optimal outcome.This results in a win-win solution.

Question 15

The chief nursing officer plans a series of staff development workshops for the nurse managers to help them deal with conflicts.The first workshop introduces the four stages of conflict,which are:

Accepted Answer

Thomas (1992)determined that conflict proceeds through these four stages in this particular order.

Question 16

A nursing instructor is teaching a class on conflict and conflict resolution.She relates to the class that conflict in an organization is important,and that an optimal level of conflict will do the following: Generate:

Accepted Answer

Differences in ideas,perceptions,and approaches,when managed well,can lead to creative solutions and deepened human relationships.Work on conflict suggests that complete resolution of conflict is counterproductive to the achievement of organizational goals,organizational change,and cohesiveness of employees.

Question 17

Sarah is a nurse manager in a surgical unit.She is concerned about a conflict between Lucy,a staff nurse,and one of the maintenance personnel.She explains to Jill that unsatisfactory resolution of the conflict is typically destructive and will result in:

Accepted Answer

Research by Saltman et al.(2006)determined that productivity decreases with destructive conflict,whereas constructive conflict strengthens relationships.

Question 18

Sarah,a staff nurse on your unit,witnesses another nurse striking a patient.Sarah wants to remain friends with her colleague and worries that confrontation with her colleague or reporting her colleague will destroy their relationship.Sarah is experiencing which type of conflict?

Accepted Answer

Intrapersonal conflict occurs within a person when confronted with the need to think or act in a way that seems at odds with one's sense of self.Questions often arise that create a conflict over priorities,ethical standards,and values.Some issues present a conflict over comfortably maintaining the status quo and taking risks to confront people when needed,which can lead to interpersonal conflict.

Question 19

A nurse educator is giving a workshop on conflict.During the sessions,he makes various statements regarding conflict.All of the statements are true except:

Accepted Answer

The opposite is true because research has shown that conflict,like change,increases creativity and allows for the development of new ideas.

Question 20

The head nurse and a staff nurse are having a conflict over how to use and apply a new procedure for dressings in the medical/surgical unit.The staff nurse wishes to use the new procedure based on newly released nursing research.The head nurse wishes to use a protocol that has been used in the department for a number of years.The head nurse later makes comments to other staff on her unit about the credibility of the staff nurse.This behavior is associated with:

Accepted Answer

Bullying involves aggressive or destructive behavior or psychological harassment of a recipient who is in a position of power differential with the perpetrator (the head nurse).Bullying is closely related to lateral or horizontal violence and involves such behaviors as withholding information,undermining activities,sabotage,and backstabbing.

Quiz 23: Conflict: the Cutting Edge of Change