Think back to a time when you had a conflict with a person in the workplace. It could be a coworker, patient, supervisor or a family member. How did you handle the situation? Was it appropriate and professional?
1. Briefly describe the conflict and your response.
2. Which of the five sources of power listed in Sherpath (Chapter 10) did the person hold?
3. Was your response consistent with your conflict assessment style? Why or why not?
4. If you had the chance to replay the conflict, what would you do to better resolve the conflict?
Source of Power Held by the Person
The person (RN Alex) primarily held Referent Power.
Referent Power is based on respect, admiration, or the desire to be like the person. While Alex was new, they were well-liked by several of the core, long-term staff members and was known to be close friends with the unit's assistant manager.
Alex used this perceived social connection and likability to indirectly exert influence, suggesting that if they "failed," a complaint might be made to the charge nurse. The implied threat was to damage the working relationship or cause future social difficulty, leveraging their positive social standing rather than formal authority.
(The five sources of power often discussed in leadership literature and Sherpath are usually: Legitimate, Reward, Coercive, Expert, and Referent.)
⚔️ 3. Consistency with Conflict Assessment Style
My response was highly consistent with a Competing (or Dominating) conflict assessment style.
Competing Style: This style is characterized by being assertive and uncooperative. The individual pursues their own concerns at the other person’s expense, often using whatever power seems appropriate to win.
Consistency Analysis: My action was consistent because I assertively pursued the concern (fair workload) by immediately using the chain of command (Legitimate Power) and unit policy to force a resolution without regard for Alex's concerns about charting or finishing on time. I saw the situation as a win-lose issue and acted quickly to ensure my side "won" by correcting the perceived imbalance, rather than seeking a compromise or collaborative solution.
Sample Answer
. Description of Conflict and Response
The conflict occurred between myself (an experienced Registered Nurse) and a newly hired colleague, RN "Alex," regarding patient assignment prioritization during a particularly busy evening shift on a medical-surgical floor.
The Conflict: Alex routinely deferred taking the assignment with the two highest-acuity patients (who required frequent monitoring and complex care tasks), opting instead for a less complex patient load, even though assignments were meant to be equitably distributed based on experience and certification. When I finally addressed this, Alex defensively stated, "I'm still orienting to this unit's charting system, and if I take those patients, I won't finish my tasks on time, and they'll complain to the charge nurse."
My Response: My initial response was one of competing. I felt the assignment was unfair and directly challenged Alex, stating firmly, "The acuity tool clearly indicates you are qualified for those patients, and your refusal impacts the safety of everyone's assignment. I will speak to the charge nurse now about reallocating the load equally, as per unit policy." I then immediately approached the charge nurse to force a change in the assignment, effectively resolving the issue by using the chain of command and appealing to unit policy, without further direct discussion with Alex.