Deck 13: Handling Conflict

Question 1

The hospital has an annual campaign in which the staff is divided into two teams to raise money for hospital special events. The team raising the most money gets possession of a "trophy" designed by the administrative staff. This is an example of which type of conflict?

A) A conflict that is disruptive to the work of the hospital
B) A competitive conflict that is positive to the work environment
C) An intragroup conflict that is not appropriate in healthcare
D) A felt conflict that will result in unresolved feelings of frustration

Answer 1

A competitive conflict that is positive to the work environment

Question 2

A conflict has arisen between two staff nurses who work on the same unit. Which strategy is most important for the nurse manager to consider?

A) Address the conflict in the break room.
B) Make a timely decision regarding if and when to intervene.
C) Accept full responsibility for developing a solution.
D) Redirect expressions of disagreement between the participants.

Answer 2

Make a timely decision regarding if and when to intervene.

Question 3

The nurse manager is facilitating the work of a collaborative team whose mission is to negotiate employment contracts with physicians. The nurse manager does not want to compromise the nurses' concerns in favor of the doctors' concerns. Which strategies would facilitate this outcome? Note: Credit will be given only if all correct choices and no incorrect choices are selected. Select all that apply.

A) Accommodating
B) Compromising
C) Smoothing
D) Collaborating
E) Competing

Answer 3

Collaborating
Competing

Question 4

The medical residents on a particular unit do not answer pages very quickly, and sometimes the residents do not answer them at all. The nursing staff complains to the nursing supervisor. After several weeks, this conflict has spiraled into a heated disagreement. Which is the most important reason to make the necessary changes to settle this conflict?

A) Client care and satisfaction will suffer should the conflict be allowed to continue.
B) The residents cannot be allowed to continue such unprofessional behavior.
C) Residents who do not answer pages do not get the most out of the experience.
D) Physicians do not know what is going on with clients if the residents do not tell them.

Question 5

A nurse manager states, "I cannot stand all these conflicts in my department. Nothing good can come out of it." Which indicates the best reason the manager's statement is untrue?

A) Conflict can stimulate more people to become involved in a situation, thus creating more innovative solutions to the issue.
B) When people are in conflict, they tend to work harder just to avoid the conflicting situation.
C) Groups in conflict spur competition, which is always beneficial to the units from which the groups emerged.
D) When there is conflict in an organization, people are more open to discussion, thus conflict can open the lines of communication.

Question 6

The nurse manager asks the staff nurse to work a double shift because the census is high. Although the nurse realizes the staffing for the night shift is low, the nurse has already made a family commitment for the same night. This is an example of which concept?

A) Intrapersonal conflict
B) Interpersonal conflict
C) Intragroup conflict
D) Intergroup conflict

Question 7

The nurse manager assesses that two staff nurses are engaged in a conflict that is having a negative impact on client care. The manager meets with the nurses involved and identifies the conflict. An attempt is made to resolve the conflict through knowledge and reason. What strategy is this manager using?

A) Confrontation
B) Resolution
C) Negotiation
D) Forcing

Question 8

A difference in opinion has arisen regarding methods to care for clients who are on mechanical ventilators. The nurse manager asks a group of nurses to meet and review evidence-based practice related to this client care situation. Each nurse volunteers to gather data prior to the next meeting. This is an example of which type of problem solving?

A) Negotiation
B) Collaboration
C) Compromise
D) Forcing

Question 9

Which is the most important factor in whether a conflict will be perceived or felt between two nurses?

A) How well the nurses know and trust each other
B) If the nurses are on the same job level
C) The congruence of the nurse's values and beliefs
D) Whether or not the nurses perform the same roles

Question 10

The nurse manager determines that there is conflict between two of the charge nurses. The decision is made to postpone an intervention and allow the conflict to escalate. Why might the nurse manager make this decision?

A) Allow sufficient time for the problem to resolve spontaneously.
B) Motivate the participants to seek resolution.
C) Give the nurse manager time to identify problem-solving strategies.
D) Relieve the nurse manager of the time commitment necessary to intervene.

Question 11

A new triage area has been built in the emergency department, causing conflict between the nurse manager and the nurses who think the design is not "user friendly." After repeated complaints, the nurse manager asks maintenance to change the arrangement of the room. What is the most important reason this change occurred?

A) The complaints motivated the nurse manager to make the change to increase unit effectiveness.
B) The room design was uncomfortable for the nurses, which convinced the nurse manager to change the design.
C) The nurse manager was afraid the nurses would refuse to work in the room so the room had to be changed.
D) The nurses would keep complaining so the nurse manager changed the room to stop the griping.

Question 12

Why does conflict help generate change? Note: Credit will be given only if all correct choices and no incorrect choices are selected. Select all that apply.

A) Conflict assists change to occur more rapidly than it would otherwise.
B) It brings more attention to an issue in need of change.
C) People get involved because conflict breeds curiosity.
D) If there is an existing conflict, a change must occur to stop the conflict.
E) Change is inevitable, and some people refuse to change, which causes conflict.

Question 13

The day shift nurses and night shift nurses are in clear opposition regarding the responsibilities that each shift should be assigned. This opposition has created a "we-they" distinction on the unit. This is an example of which phenomenon?

A) Distancing
B) Suppression
C) Group withdrawal
D) Unification

Question 14

The nursing staff is continually upset being unable to provide clients with needed supplies because third-party payers will not reimburse for those items. This is an example of which conflict antecedent?

A) Task interdependencies
B) Distancing
C) Role
D) Incompatible goals

Question 15

The nurse and a client are discussing instructions for self-care after discharge. The client's husband says, "I can't take care of her by myself. We need home health like we had before she came to the hospital." This statement reflects which antecedent condition?

A) Task interdependence
B) Resource competition
C) Structural conflict
D) Differences in values and beliefs

Question 16

The nurse manager presents an issue to the nursing staff for a decision. The group assesses the problem, and a decision is made meeting the needs of both the nurse manager and the nursing staff. This is an example of which conflict management strategy?

A) Integrative decision making
B) Win-lose strategy
C) Accommodation
D) Consensus

Question 17

The nurse manager meets with the staff nurses to discuss ways to improve communication among the shifts. Which statement by the nurse manager best exemplifies the final stage of conflict management?

A) "We need to clearly define the nature of the conflict."
B) "I will evaluate the outcomes of our strategies on a monthly basis."
C) "Let's create a timeline for the implementation of our strategies."
D) "Hopefully, each group can understand each other's perceptions of the issue."

Question 18

The staff nurses and nursing administration are attempting to construct a method of scheduling that meets the needs of both the clients and the nursing personnel. Because nurses and nursing administration have experienced conflict about the issue, their intent is to arrive at an agreeable solution between both parties. Which option does this process best exemplify?

A) Negotiation
B) Accommodation
C) Forcing
D) Consensus

Question 19

A nurse has a longstanding conflict with another nurse working the same shift. Over the last few days, the first nurse has made an effort to smooth over the conflict. Which statement would the nurse manager evaluate as an example of a "smoothing" comment?

A) "We are never going to agree because I am from Generation X and you are a Baby Boomer."
B) "I'm tired of this fight, and I'm not going to argue with you anymore."
C) "Even though we don't agree on much, I do think you are correct about enforcing the length of lunch breaks."
D) "I think everything is fine and that we can get along."

Question 20

A staff nurse has experienced disagreements with one of the medical residents about several issues. The resident reacts to this conflict by belittling the nurse in front of colleagues. This behavior is most characteristic of which type of conflict?

A) Competitive
B) Role
C) Perceived
D) Disruptive

Question 21

A nurse and a physician are in conflict over the treatment of a client. Which statements by the nurse reflect the best way to handle interprofessional conflict? Note: Credit will be given only if all correct choices and no incorrect choices are selected. Select all that apply.

A) "I think it would be better for the client to stay another day."
B) "This client needs an additional day to learn how to care for a complex wound."
C) "It will help this client manage her diabetes more effectively if she is assigned a diabetic educator."
D) "Research has shown that early ambulation helps to reduce the likelihood of pulmonary embolism."
E) "Do you not remember what happened when you sent that other client home too early?"

Question 22

Conflict has arisen within the hospital regarding who will staff a proposed high-acuity unit. The nurse executive and other administrators have purposefully not intervened in this conflict. Why is that strategy appropriate? Note: Credit will be given only if all correct choices and no incorrect choices are selected. Select all that apply.

A) Conflict draws attention to an issue.
B) The administrators do not like conflict management.
C) Conflict can stimulate new ideas about how to manage the high-acuity unit.
D) Conflict about the unit will help to identify the compromises necessary to make it a viable part of the hospital system.
E) Conflicts about staffing may make current staff members reexamine their own performance.

Question 23

Which statements would alert a nurse manager that a unit conflict has become disruptive? Note: Credit will be given only if all correct choices and no incorrect choices are selected. Select all that apply.

A) "I won't stop until I have gotten her fired."
B) "He doesn't fight fairly."
C) "I've almost forgotten what started this; I just focused on beating her."
D) "I am going to win this argument."
E) "He is so wrong; he just has to go."

Question 24

A nurse manager is trying to manage a conflict between a staff nurse and a medical student. Which statement by the manager would the nursing supervisor interpret as following the rules of basic mediation?

A) "Both parties need to grow up. They are so immature."
B) "The problem is partially the fault of both parties."
C) "I stopped the conversation frequently to have the parties summarize what was being said."
D) "They just went on and on. I had to stop the discussion because I was out of time."

Question 25

Which statement by the nurse managing a unit conflict indicates that the integrative decision-making strategy is being used?

A) "I've heard all I need to hear. I'll have a decision tomorrow."
B) "Once you have signed this informed consent, the issue will go to mediation."
C) "This will all blow over if everyone just tries to get along better."
D) "Both parties should come up with as many alternative solutions as possible before our next meeting."

Question 26

Conflict is often a prerequisite to ________ in people and organizations.

Question 27

A serious conflict between a nurse and a nursing assistant erupted into a shouting match in the hallway. The nurse attempted to slap the nursing assistant. What conflict responses are appropriate for the assistant? Note: Credit will be given only if all correct choices and no incorrect choices are selected. Select all that apply.

A) Accommodating
B) Withdrawal
C) Avoiding
D) Smoothing
E) Negotiation

Question 28

The nurse manager tries to resolve conflict between two RNs. Which actions should the manager take first?

A) Allow the nurses to work out the problem.
B) Ignore the issue.
C) Use active listening with each nurse.
D) Meet with each nurse separately.
E) Bring the nurses together and ask them to explain the problem.

Question 29

In order to come to a solution for an ongoing conflict among several nursing units, the nursing supervisor says, "Your managers will meet to create a voting form representing both sides of this issue. Each of you will vote, and the majority will rule." What kind of a solution is the supervisor seeking?

A) Consensus
B) Win-win
C) Forcing
D) Win-lose

Question 30

Two staff nurses are in conflict about the summer vacation schedule. The nurse manager is contemplating assigning both nurses to a task that will require frequent contact with each other, hoping that they will resolve the issue themselves. What should the manager consider before making this assignment? Note: Credit will be given only if all correct choices and no incorrect choices are selected. Select all that apply.

A) What is the anxiety level of the nurses in regard to the vacation schedule?
B) Have the nurses ever worked together before on a project?
C) Will the conflict decrease the efficiency of the unit while the nurses are self-solving the issue?
D) How intense is the conflict about vacation scheduling?
E) Are the nurses talking to the rest of the staff about the conflict?

Question 31

A nurse manager and a staff nurse are in conflict. The nursing supervisor has decided to use mediation to arrive at a solution. The supervisor should be most concerned about which person's level of comfort when choosing a place for the mediation meeting?

A) The manager
B) The staff nurse
C) The supervisor
D) There should be equal concern for all participants.

Question 32

A physician criticizes the care provided by a nurse in an area where others are present. Which actions by the nurse would the manager interpret as a covert conflict behavior resulting from this situation? Note: Credit will be given only if all correct choices and no incorrect choices are selected. Select all that apply.

A) The nurse says, "You can't talk to me like that."
B) The nurse avoids the physician in the hallway.
C) The nurse refuses to care for the physician's clients.
D) The nurse is no longer as careful in caring for this physician's clients.
E) The nurse is apathetic about the care of clients.