Question

Nurses in the emergency room (ER) are complaining about how the medical-surgical unit nurses are responding to them when patients are being transported to the floor. The ER nurses state that the medical-surgical nurses do not want to do their job at times. The medical-surgical unit nurses state that the ER nurses always bring the patients near change of shift. What type of conflict is represented by this situation?

1. Interpersonal
2. Intergroup
3. Organizational
4. Intrapersonal

Answer 1

The situation between the ER nurses and the medical-surgical unit nurses highlights an intergroup conflict, stemming from differences in workflow and shift timing which necessitates improved communication and conflict resolution techniques.

Step-by-step explanation:

The conflict described between the emergency room (ER) nurses and medical-surgical unit nurses is an example of an intergroup conflict. This type of conflict arises when there are disagreements or incompatibilities between groups, in this case between two nursing departments within a healthcare organization. It is characterized by the differing perspectives and needs of the ER nurses who want to transfer patients promptly, and the medical-surgical nurses who are concerned about the timing of patient transfers, often coinciding with shift changes. To address such conflicts, effective communication and conflict resolution strategies, as well as adjustments to protocols and scheduling, may be necessary to ensure a more collaborative environment.1