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Introduction
For the healthcare sector to function efficiently and effectively, it is essential to foster excellent communication among various specialists and medical professionals to ensure that care and treatment are provided properly. Nevertheless, problems are an inherent part of any hospital environment, and often the challenges that may arise during the process can add a considerable amount of pressure and stress and lead to conflict situations. The lack of collaboration and communication in demanding situations can negatively impact the outcomes concerning patients’ health and well-being (Rosenman, Brahzetti, & Frenandez, 2016). Conflict management implies being aware of the potential risks of such situations and having the skills and knowledge to deal with them accordingly. Any transformational leader needs to be a good mediator and express willingness to resolve disagreements without any hesitation, preventing further and more adverse developments. Thus, Transformational Leadership in emergency care must include conflict management as one of its key features, which is necessary for attaining positive health outcomes for patients and lowering the number of complications.
Conflict Management and Transformational Leadership in Resolving Conflicts
Medical professionals who work in emergency care settings have to deal with high-acuity patients daily, and this raises significant challenges for cooperation among them since the overall urgency demands them to be reactive. Often nurses and doctors may espouse conflicting approaches to treating their patients and caring for them; in many cases, it leads to misunderstanding and eventually affects all parties involved. According to McKibben (2017), conflicts in organizations have an unpleasant effect on the functioning of a team and undermine its stability, hindering the productivity of team members’ actions. This stresses the importance for all emergency care workers to realize that they have leadership responsibility, which implies appropriately assessing, analyzing, and managing any discord arising during their practice.
Ideal Transformational Leadership must take into account all aspects of conflicts and understand the points of view of everyone who is part of a given situation, ensuring negotiations and proposing suitable compromises. It is most crucial for all transformational leaders not to favor the individual who is in the wrong simply because of friendship or any other kind of close relationship they have with the person. Transformational Leadership’s role is to provide care in situations that are considered stressful and emotionally demanding (Wolfe, Hoang, & Denniston, 2018). Yet, the responsibilities of such leaders must extend far beyond the premises of an intensive care unit, and early prevention of conflicts should be their primary duty. Improving communication, fostering good relations, raising the morale of the team members, and employing holistic methods and techniques have to be at the core of effective and successful Transformational Leadership.
Conflict Management Styles
It is worth noting that the prevention of conflicts in emergency care settings is beneficial not only for the medical workers themselves but also for their ability to provide high-quality services to the patients. The application of conflict management can significantly contribute to the establishment of an understanding environment since it aims at minimizing conflicts’ negative outcomes while increasing the positive ones (Smiley, 2018). Transformational Leadership must incorporate conflict management as its indispensable part and, as a result, promote the capacity to settle disagreements whenever they emerge since it is the key to providing excellent services to clients. There is a variety of models and frameworks which propose different Transformational Leadership approaches in situations that require choosing an appropriate conflict management way of conduct.
Some transformational leaders who previously did not have any experience with conflict management may encounter difficulties with choosing the behavior which can allow them to make an impact and achieve positive results. The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument (TKI) can help such professionals since it provides an assessment tool that assists in determining the type of behavior of an individual in a conflict (Kilmann Diagnostics, n.d.). Generally, every individual is predisposed to having to compete, collaborate, compromise, avoid, or accommodate modes of behavior. Taking a TKI test can help people understand clearly which of them is their predominant one and thus be able to employ an appropriate style depending on a conflict situation. This instrument can greatly benefit transformational leaders in resolving conflicts. By carefully analyzing the challenging situation and then implementing the insight gained through the TKI assessment, they can successfully find a proper solution.
Factors Contributing to Conflict Situations in Emergency Departments
Many factors contribute to conflicts in the workplace, and the emergency care setting is particularly prone to them because of its intensity and high levels of stress. Johansen & Cadmus (2015) state that the lack of a supportive work climate and avoidance of conflicts as the primary management style can be reliable predictors of work stress among emergency nurses. High levels of stress in workers, especially if it has been building up for a considerable period, will inevitably provoke a conflict situation which may have lasting effects. For example, two nurses may stop speaking to each other, as a result, jeopardizing the caring process for the patient. A supportive and understanding environment in the emergency department can not only decrease stress levels but also eradicate situations such as the aforementioned one.
Leadership and conflict management, as its integral element, can be taught to nurses and other medical specialists to help them understand the importance of fostering a friendly environment and show how it can be achieved. Healthcare leadership development is essential to navigating the sector through a variety of comprehensive and interacting factors and implementing critical changes to ensure efficient health care delivery (Ayeleke, Dunham, North & Wallis, 2018). Emergency department professionals who have undergone training in Transformational Leadership and conflict management methods will always be ready to face challenges and quickly find well-functioning solutions. They will be able to not only resolve conflicts but create an atmosphere of comfort and support, which would positively affect relations among staff members and strengthen their team morale.
Conclusion
The medical professionals working in the emergency care setting encounter challenges daily, and often these issues arise in their teams. The pressure and stress-induced by their job can contribute to worsening relations among the staff members and, as a result, provoke conflicts. This research stresses the importance of leadership in the process of conflict management and highlights the idea that Transformational Leadership strategies are vital for bringing positive changes to the emergency departments. This kind of leadership aims at developing communication, improving morale, and establishing good relationships among medical personnel, and using reliable methods of resolving conflicts in the workplace. The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument is one of the most effective tools that can help leaders assess the behaviors of each party involved in a disagreement and determine the right course of action. According to studies, stress is linked to conflict situations, transformational leadership can assist professionals in building and maintaining a supportive environment, which will decrease stress levels among medical specialists and contribute to conflict prevention.
References
Ayeleke, R. O., Dunham, A., North, N., & Wallis, K. (2018). The concept of leadership in the health care sector. In Leadership, (pp. 83–95). IntechOpen.
Johansen, M. L., & Cadmus, E. (2015). Conflict management style, supportive work environments and the experience of work stress in emergency nurses. Journal of Nursing Management, 24(2), 211–218.
Kilmann Diagnostics. (n.d.). An overview of the TKI assessment tool. Web.
McKibben, L. (2017). Conflict management: Importance and implications. British Journal of Nursing, 26(2), 100–103.
Rosenman, E., Brahzetti, J., & Frenandez, R. (2016). Assessing team leadership in emergency medicine: The milestones and beyond. Journal of Graduate Medical Education, 8(3), 332–340.
Smiley, F. (2018). Leadership guide to conflict and conflict management. In T. Huber, L. Breitenstine, L. Schreiber, K. Budzik, T. Moffitt, & J. Pearsol (Eds.), Leadership in Healthcare and Public Health (pp. 119–128). The Ohio State University.
Wolfe, A., Hoang, K., & Denniston, S. (2018). Teaching conflict resolution in medicine: Lessons from business, diplomacy, and theatre. MedEdPortal, 14, 10672.
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