Interpersonal conflicts amongst Registered Nurses in Dublin acute care hospital-based settings: the threats to patient safety

Abstract

Although is widely known that conflict is an inevitable part of nurse’s daily life, little study has been done to depict how nurses themselves perceive conflict among them and how this could detrimentally affect patient safety. Literature suggests that the antecedents of conflict are mostly based on interpersonal factors, such as divergence in knowledge, experience and cultures. Moreover, studies have shown that non-healthy work environment is directly connected to adverse events to occur in nursing care. Based on pragmatic philosophy and through a a descriptive, correlational and cross-sectional quantitative research, the relevant information was analysed as forty-four registered nurses who are currently working in acute hospital-based setting in Dublin agreed to participated in an Internet-based survey. All the data gathered was of an utmost importance to explore the aims and objective, therefore answering the research questions. Conflict was perceived, almost unanimously, as a critical part of nursing work environment and, consequently, is a serious threat to patient safety. Nursing leadership and continuous education regarding interpersonal conflicts and their resolution were implicated in contributing to an effective conflict management in order to maintain and improve quality of care.