Case Studies for Conflict Resolution

The following case studies match real-world scenarios often found in a healthcare setting. Review each scenario, and then answer the questions, below. Think about what you have learned over the last few weeks and identify a conflict resolution technique that you would use in each situation.

Case Study #1

Kerry just finished a case management appointment for Sonya, a participant who has had a major stroke. Sonya has some difficulty speaking and uses a wheelchair. As they head toward the door, Sonya says something to Kerry. Kerry replies, “I’m sorry, what did you say?” Sonya repeats her comment. Kerry looks confused and says, “I’m sorry. I still didn’t get what you said.” Sonya repeats her comment in a louder voice. Looking a bit flustered, Kerry says, “Okay, well, maybe we can work on that next time.” Kerry reaches for the door and says, “I will get that for you.” Sonya, at the same moment, angrily pushes the button for the automatic door and rolls away. Kerry walks back to her office feeling a bit overwhelmed. She doesn’t usually work with the disabled patients that is Ms. Wilson’s area.

Questions to consider: 1. What could Kerry have done differently to avoid or minimize this conflict? What could Kerry learn from this experience?

2. Write the dialogue for the next time Kerry sees Sonya at the clinic.

Case Study #2

Mrs. Rodriguez checks in to the doctor’s clinic for her appointment. She is new to the clinic and area having recently moved here from a South American country. Mrs. Rodriguez has brought her children with her to the clinic. While in the waiting room, the children become very noisy and begin running through the waiting area disturbing other patients. Samantha is trying to work at the front desk and is getting frustrated. She says to her co-worker, loudly enough so that some people in the waiting room can hear, these people (referring to Mrs. Rodriguez) don’t know how to control their kids.” Samantha tells the patient, “If you don’t get control of your children, you’ll have to reschedule your appointment for another day.” Mrs. Rodriguez leaves the clinic without seeing the doctor. Mrs. Rodriguez later calls the practice manager and states that she was discriminated against and was denied health care services. Mrs. Rodriguez says that Samantha thought she couldn’t understand her, but she understood every word.

Questions to consider:

1. What are some assumptions that people make about patients of other ethnicities and cultural backgrounds? Can you think of other examples where these assumptions could lead to conflict?

2. Write a new statement for Samantha to use when talking with Mrs. Rodriguez about her children’s behavior.

Case Study #3

A patient walks into the ER. The patient is in a lot of pain. The triage nurse observes that the patient appears to be Asian and isn’t sure if the patient speaks English or not. She says, “Do you speak English?” The patient groaning in pain indicates, “A little”. The nurse, figuring she won’t understand says, “Great, another one that can’t learn our language.” She only has a few minutes, under the performance dashboard system, to get the patient triaged and either admitted to the ER or sent home. She looks at the patient and speaks in simple syllables “Where hurt and points to the patient’s body” The patient tries to say something but the nurse says “No, just point to pain”. The patient again tries to speak and is getting visibly frustrated at this exchange, but the nurse interrupts and points, “Is it your tummy?” After a few minutes of trying to find out where the pain is, the nurse makes a guess based on the fact that it appears to be the abdomen area and admits her.

Questions to consider:

• What are the incorrect assumptions that the nurse made in this case that led to a conflict?
• What kind of impact will this have on the patient’s care in the ER?
• What should the nurse have done?

Case Study #4

You work on a busy inpatient ward for a local hospital. The clinic have a diverse staff that speak many languages in addition to English. On your shift, there is a group of Filipino staff who speak Tagalog while at work. Leslie, an employee who doesn’t speak their language, feels self-conscious and sometimes wonders if they are talking about her. She complains to her friend about other staff not speaking English. One day Leslie walks into a meeting room and several staff are already there, speaking in Tagalog. Leslie walks in and says, “Hello.” The other staff say “Hello” back and then resume their conversation, which Leslie does not understand. Leslie rolls her eyes and sits down to wait for the meeting to start.

Questions to consider:

• What are some reasons that these staff members might choose to speak in their native tongue?
• How could Leslie address her feelings about this conflict in a positive manner?
• What should her co-worker’s response be?

Case Study #5

This case study is a youtube video on Nurse to Nurse Conflict.

After reviewing the video, please respond to the following questions.

1. What was the issue the new nurse faced?

2. Why type of conflict did this create?

3. What was the benefit of Parker talking to her colleagues? Do you feel that was appropriate?

4. What was wrong with the first approach by her manager?

5. What would you have done differently in handling this conflict (choosing to do nothing different is not an option. Think about the strategies and techniques we have covered over the last few weeks).