As a healthcare professional, you do not need to hear or read a post to know that workplace conflicts are common and may happen daily if no action is taken. Unfortunately, workplace conflicts are inevitable, and it is the responsibility of every healthcare worker to exercise appropriate conflict resolution practices. From nurse bullying to outbursts by physicians, conflicts are very common in healthcare settings, especially during stressful and overwhelming times when healthcare workers are dealing with the covid 19 crisis.

Healthcare workers in many countries continue to be overwhelmed by covid 19 patients, and it is easy for a healthcare professional to lose it all and conflict with their colleague. We can say that it is only natural, and the solution is to look the other way and focus on patient care. According to research, passive-aggressiveness and other types of incivility in Healthcare settings can actually harm patients.

Common workplace conflicts in healthcare settings and how to deal with them

Vertical aggression

This happens when experienced healthcare staff bully their superiors with less experience. The best thing to do in such a situation is to ask them for their support and show them that you value their expertise.

Passive aggressiveness

When you see a problem at work, it is best to deal with it as directly as possible. Address the staff involved and ask your colleagues to address any issue regarding your line of work directly to you.

Bullying

Nurse bullying is very common in healthcare settings. As a team leader, state clearly to the bully that they need to change and follow up to ensure they change their behaviour.

Defensiveness

Defensiveness happens when some employees respond to critiques of their bad behaviour with a comment about the person's shortcomings. Direct the conversation by convincing the employee that you are helping them to change for the better.

The informer

Most workplaces have an informer. If you are in a leadership post and an employee comes to inform you of another employee's behaviour, ask them to hold their colleague accountable unless the issue gets out of hand. In that case, have a conversation with both of them.

Ways of responding to conflict in healthcare settings

If you are a leader, it is best to encourage your team to practise good conflict resolution practices by leading as an example. Conflict resolution training is also necessary from time to time to help every employee understand what is expected of them. Consider reviewing standards of behaviour every once in a while and enforce the rules among all the team members. If you are a healthcare worker, here are some ways of responding to workplace conflicts:

• Think about your team when you are about to lose yourself.

• Respect your collegues.

• Exercise caution before you speak.

• Focus on people’s strengths.

• Observe boundaries and stick to them.

• Ask for help from mentors and other employees if you have a problem.

• Anticipate reactions.

• Be direct when addressing a problem and address the person involved.

The takeaway

Never give up. Whenever you feel like you can't deal with workplace conflicts anymore, think about why you are a healthcare worker. Focus on helping patients and achieving your goals. Focusing on your goals will motivate you more.