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J U N E 2 0 1 5 | O U T P AT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E
Solve Staff Conflicts
Hear both sides of the issue before acting fairly and decisively.
C
an't we all get along? Not always, especially in the high-
stress world of surgery. When spats between staff members
threaten to impact the surgical team and jeopardize the com-
munication that's essential to maintaining exceptional patient care,
you need to step in.
First, acknowledge the problem. Attempts at conflict resolution
should begin by encouraging each of the individuals involved to
resolve the issue themselves. However, staff members embroiled in a
serious disagreement sometimes don't want to meet one-on-one to
reach common ground, or don't have the tools to do it successfully.
If they can't bury the hatchet themselves, it's critical that you inform
them that the situation is disruptive to the entire staff and may have
an impact on their morale and productivity. Meet one-on-one with
each individual involved. Listen to the issues that are causing the con-
S T A F F I N G
Francine Daley, RN, CNOR
z TOUGH ROOM Disagreements are inevitable
when the stakes are so high day in and day out.