Question

Consider the following two scenarios. Which exemplifies role strain and which exemplifies role conflict? Explain your reasoning.

a. A nurse, who is supposed to make patients as comforable as possible, must give a patient a painful treatment.

b. A nurse cannot concentrate while assisting with a medical procedure being performed on a close friend because the nurse is upset about the friend's condition.

Answer 1

a. role strain

b. role conflict

Step-by-step explanation:

a. Role strain occurs inside a role, when obligations or expectations make it difficult for someone to meet their responsibilities. That is a cause of stress. In the example, the nurse has the conflicting obligations of making a patient comfortable while, at the same time, giving him a painful treatment. Pain and comfort are opposites, but they are both a part of the role the nurse is expected to play.

b. Role conflict occurs between two or more roles, when the expectations and obligations of one interfere with the other. In the example, the nurse's role as a friend is interfering with her role as a nurse. She is unable to concentrate because of the way she feels, as a friend.