CONFLICT RESOLUTION STRATEGIES USED BY NURSES IN MADONNA UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL ELELE, RIVERS STATE.

Conflict in healthcare is a significant issue with undesirable consequences. It is a reality in the nursing profession, it is central to all human interaction, as it simply codifies the deep and abiding understanding of the fundamental diversity of the human experience. Conflict resolution requires specific leadership skills, problem solving abilities and decision-making skills. Thus, Nurses must be equipped with the necessary strategies to effectively resolve conflict. This study was carried out to assess the rate of occurrence of conflict, to identify the factors that are responsible for this conflict and to identify and describe the conflict management strategies used by nurses in Madonna University Teaching Hospital Elele, Rivers State. A descriptive study was conducted using convenience sampling technique; 91 nurses were chosen as the sample size. From the findings, just above half of the respondents reported that interpersonal conflict occurs often in the hospital (54.9%) with majority of the respondents blaming the occurrence of conflicts on aggressive or violent behavior by patients. Findings revealed that more than 1/3rd of the respondents explore issues with one another, some resolve conflict by negotiating and adopting a “give-and-take” approach to situations, some by meeting the expectations of other team members, few generally argue their case and insist on the merits of their points, while some figure out what needs to be done and they avoid hard feelings by keeping disagreements with other members. The findings of the study can help nurses and healthcare organizations to develop effective conflict resolution strategies that can improve patient outcomes and enhance the work environment for nurses. Keywords: Conflict, Conflict resolution strategies, Nurse, Madonna university, Rivers state