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Life as they see it - members of AfPP write on issues that concern or interest them
Regent Bursary Award for the 41st Association for Perioperative Practice Congress 2005
Introduction
Conflict and challenging behaviours can arise when staff have to interact with many diverse groups of people and disciplines. Conflict takes us out of our area of comfort and leaves us feeling vulnerable and exposed. It is never easy to handle or resolve and it would be naïve to imagine that we can work and live in a conflict free zone.
Conflict can be a result of many factors including:
* Stress
* Poor communication
* Organisational change including changes in patient care and working patterns
* Life changes as individual circumstances change, for examples marriage, divorce, children, getting older and working towards retirement.
Most people work better under pressure and need to be stretched to produce good work (Westwood 2001). However prolonged stress can cause work to deteriorate and friction can then occur between individuals. Therefore successful departments need to find a balance.
Another cause of conflict can arise from individual's different personality types. Some staff persistently like to challenge. These employees may deliberately set out to disrupt and complain about working conditions, staff shortages and work rotas.
Not all conflict needs intervention and nurse managers should welcome the existence of differences...