Konfliktmanagement in der Pflege – Effektive Tipps und Strategien

Conflict management in nursing: How to successfully manage conflicts

Communication in Nursing Part 4

Communicating Properly in Nursing Part 4, OR: 'The "dead man exercise" is only helpful when swimming in water!' Conflict is as natural in life as the night that follows the day. When swimming, it's wonderful to just let yourself drift. However, when it comes to conflicts, especially in stressful working environments such as nursing, there is a risk of escalation. Effective conflict management in nursing is the key to emerging from the maelstrom of conflict and rising to clarity. You can find out how to do this here.

There is an exercise that improves buoyancy and propulsion when swimming: the "dead man exercise". To do this, lie flat on your back or stomach in the water and pay attention to how your body behaves in the water. The prerequisite is, of course, that you can swim! By tensing your stomach and bottom and stretching your whole body, we shift the focus to your chest. We need this exercise when swimming, and only when swimming.

In life, however, we need completely different exercises to help us: Recognize conflicts, deal with conflicts and resolve conflicts. There are many conflict management exercises. We look at which skills, methods and solution strategies are specifically required in nursing to solve problems with patients, the team or the organization. Conflict management in nursing is particularly important as the work in nursing is very stressful. In this context, open, honest communication at eye level is particularly important in order to avoid misunderstandings and create a respectful atmosphere.

The nurse Agnes has a problem

The nurse Agnes gruffly throws the door of the duty room shut behind her and leans against it, sobbing. Once again she has been ignored at the duty meeting and has been assigned weekend duty for the second time this month. This is despite the fact that she has repeatedly emailed to say that she needs the weekends off. She doesn't dare say why.

The reason is that she feels increasingly lonely and is looking to connect with people at the weekend. Her social life is suffering as a result of her irregular duties, especially as she has now been separated for six months. Her colleagues only know all this in passing. And she won't do the devil to tell them. What's the point? So they can gossip about her?

At the meeting just now, she had the uneasy feeling that her colleagues had already known that Agnes was going to get these services. Agnes suffers from her colleagues. She senses that her colleagues are gossiping about her behind her back. Yes, it's true that Agnes has been absent from work a few times since her separation. She has taken sick leave because she simply felt empty.

Burnt out. Alone. Agnes doesn't hope for understanding. She just wants to be left alone. Sad, hurt and lonelier than ever, Agnes trudges home. Another weekend in the nursing home awaits her. Another weekend in which she dreads going home because all that awaits her is a cold and empty apartment. Here you can read Nora's article on tips against loneliness.

Why is conflict management in nursing so important?

Care professionals can suffer from working conditions. Carers often see no opportunities to make their working day fulfilling due to the high stress levels, high work demands and the tendency of those in need of care, and in some cases also their employer, to be on call around the clock. It must be clear to us that this has a negative impact on mental and physical health. Read more about the demands on caregivers here.

So it's important that you have the right job as a nurse. Read more about this topic here . Because you can also use a social media portal, just like online dating portals, to get the job you've always dreamed of - and therefore enjoy getting up every day and starting your fulfilling life.

In addition, we ourselves, like Agnes, bring personal problems into our day-to-day work. If we pass these on to others, or simply don't bother to deal with them on our own or with professional help, they cost us valuable life energy and performance. We are then unable to draw on this energy and strength at work and, of course, in our private lives. And when we consider whether we would rather invest our energy in great projects, work and our hobbies or in unresolved problems - the answer is clear, isn't it?

In order to prevent existing conflicts from escalating further and ultimately leading to a crisis, efficient conflict management is necessary in nursing. It is particularly important to recognize conflicts in the team at an early stage and address them openly so that they do not cause deeper tensions. Below, we take a closer look at Agnes' problem area.

How do conflicts arise?

The difficult thing about starting conflicts is often that not everyone involved in the conflict realizes that something is wrong. This is because everyone comes with different ideas, values and a different way of communicating. The causes of incipient problems of an interpersonal nature are differences of opinion, misunderstandings and misconduct on the part of one or more people Initially, when a problem starts, we only subliminally sense that something is wrong.

If it is not eliminated, i.e. ignored, as in the "dead man" exercise when swimming, i.e. if we play dead, then the quiet disagreement turns into a huge noise. This is when verbal and physical confrontations actually occur.

What about the beginning of Agnes's problem?

The problem clearly began with her personal crisis, long before the divorce six months ago put an end to her relationship with her ex-husband. The problem with the care situation actually started when she didn't inform her colleagues because she was afraid she would be looked at the wrong way. As we have seen, however, the opposite is the case. Her colleagues, as well as her supervisor, only suspected her problem. Due to this ignorance, they also interpret Agnes' absence as "sick leave" and assume that she is a slacker.

How do we recognize a problem?

These initially subliminal conflicts in private and professional life always have similar omens:

We ignore each other and stay out of each other's way
We talk about the other person behind closed doors
The flow of information between us is disrupted

In the beginning, there is often annoyance, an irritable mood prevails. Later on, when we play "dead man" about the problem, there are debates and arguments. If we continue to remain inactive, then we end up talking about hardened fronts - and hostile behavior. What do you think - is it easier to resolve a conflict at the very beginning, very fresh at the root cause, or at the end, when the conflict has turned into hostility ?

The answer is obvious, isn't it ? So our goal is to resolve the conflict right at the start - because that's when it's easiest for us. Agnes can still solve the problem now, where it is already reflected in actions such as scheduling weekend services. And how can she do that?

Basics for successful conflict management in nursing.

Finding out the causes

Before we even begin to consider how we might resolve the situation, we must find out what kind of problem it is. And this is the crux of the matter: we only have our own point of view. We may think that everything is fine and dandy and not understand how anyone could think otherwise. That's why it's important to involve everyone involved in the problem in the solution process. Agnes must therefore recognize that she herself carries the problem within her - in that she has not yet processed the separation and carries these negative feelings into work without talking about them and without seeking help.

The best way to find out the cause of the problem is to Conversation. Whether in a meeting, one-on-one, in a team or in a working group - the people involved in the problem decide which setting is the right one. Because even the most eloquent of us might find it hard to talk about problems, right? We all know the situation where we enjoy small talk, can talk for hours about God and the world, and then suddenly fall silent about something that's on our minds.

Sensitively addressing problems

This is quite normal. Who likes to talk about their own problems, especially in front of the whole team? That's why a careful, sensitive approach is essential for the success of the conversation. Agnes decides to speak only to her line manager for the time being. It is very difficult for her, but she eventually makes it through - and feels relieved when she has explained to her line manager that she is unwell and feels lonely. And that she would therefore like more weekends off.

Once we have found out what the cause of the problem is through conversation, in whatever setting it fits, we can use a Solution strategy. To do this, it is important to understand what type of conflict we currently have:

Is it about the thing itself ?
Is it about different assessments of a situation ?
Does anyone feel disadvantaged ?
Is the problem in the hierarchy ?
Or is it simply because two people involved in the problem simply don't like each other ?

Managing personal conflicts

You probably already realize it - some problems are easier to solve, others, which are on a personal level, are difficult for us. After all, who wants to admit that they feel the other person doesn't like them? We also don't like to admit that we simply don't like a certain person and therefore constantly put them at a disadvantage.

Yes, it is a sensitive topic. And it requires courage and an adult, conscious, mindful approach from us in order to resolve the conflict. With Agnes, we can divide the conflict so that she can disadvantaged feels. Without actually being it. Because the conflict with her colleagues began when she let them down because she had been on sick leave so often. And at this stage of the conflict, it was very clear that the situation of her and her colleagues differently assessed.

Psychohygiene

An important part of everyday working life in nursing is the Psychohygiene. This is concerned with identifying and eliminating work-related stresses and enabling the person affected to deal with these stresses so that they are no longer harmful to health. We can use many methods of relaxation for this, such as progressive muscle relaxation, meditation, body-mind movements such as Pilates and yoga, as well as outdoor activities such as golf or mountain hiking.

Agnes' Path to Resolution: An Example of Conflict Management in Nursing

In the further course Agnes also speaks with every single colleague in her department in private. She musters up all her courage, but is already so desperate that she thinks to herself: "Close your eyes and go!" She admits to having ignored the problem and not treating her colleagues well. This in turn relaxes her colleagues and creates harmony. And lo and behold - the tension disappears, the thick air clears up and her colleagues actually make an effort to treat her with respect in future.

This means Agnes no longer feels so lonely. She now only gets one weekend shift a month - and has taken on a personal trainer to help her get out of her emotional hole. As a result, she is investing in herself - and slowly but surely coming out of her hole. And tomorrow she's going to the outdoor pool with her colleagues after work! She's really looking forward to it.

Nora's conclusion

Den Recognizing the conflict early on is the key to success in conflict management. The basis for this is to find out, which cause or causes triggered the problem in the first place. And for this in turn, it is also important that we can differentiate, what type of conflict we have. The easiest way to resolve a factual conflict is when there is a problem that arises from a factual situation. It becomes more difficult when it comes to assessments and perspectives that are as individual as each and every one of us.

The way to handle the conflict is to conversation. We talk about the problem and share our points of view. This requires a lot understanding necessary from both sides, but also courage, and the admission of having made a mistake. As a result, everyone involved gains insight, knowledge and experience for working together.

The stress level is particularly high in the nursing profession. That's why it's particularly important for us nurses to develop a healthy attitude. If you manage to promote health-conscious behavior, you can make healthy choices. For example, I go sailing once a week, and all the pent-up anger ends up in the lake! Find your favorite way to exercise. This will help you to maintain your strength and deal with others better and better,

that assures you of your

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Are you looking for or are you a nurse with particularly high communication skills and a special ability to resolve conflicts? Then register now on noracares.at