When Should Leaders Mediate a Conflict?

By Rose O. Sherman, EdD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN

How can I more effectively manage conflict. This is an issue that many leaders struggle with. The following is a case scenario that is often brought up in leadership development sessions.

The Case Scenario

A charge nurse on your unit complains to you the manager about a conflict she is having with a PCA who has worked on the unit for 10 years. The PCA frequently argues about her assignments. She has been disrespectful when the charge nurse tries to follow-up with her on assignments, pointing out that she is younger than her daughter. The charge nurse is also concerned because she found the PCA at the desk talking with the Unit Secretary instead of helping other staff. When she asks PCA to help others – she rolls her eyes and has what the charge nurse is describing as a “major attitude” issue. Other staff report that the PCA gossips about her behind her back about the incompetence of the charge nurse. She has also been identified as a bully. The conflict has escalated. The charge nurse is not sure how it all began but recognizes that there is a deterioration in the relationship, and it is impacting care. She has not had a conversation with the PCA about it and says she is afraid it will not go well if she does. Her preference is that “you handle it”.

Should the leader get involved in this conflict situation between the two staff members? There are no easy answers to the question. Leaders usually have three choices in these situations. The first one is to do nothing. If the leader assesses that the conflict may subside on its own or one of the parties will no longer be a team member, then this may be the best option. The second option is to coach the charge nurse to have a discussion with the PCA. This is a better choice in most situations because ideally you would want to help the charge nurse develop conflict management skills. The third choice is to mediate the conflict between the two staff members. This is a less desirable choice. If the charge nurse has not attempted to have a conversation with the PCA about their relationship, the PCA could feel blind-sighted by a leader who jumps into the situation after hearing only one side of the story. Trust that the leader will need to be an effective mediator at a later point in time could be lost.

There may be times when the leader might need to get involved to mediate the initial conversation about the conflict. If the conflict has escalated to a point where respect has been lost, the two individuals may refuse to have a conversation without a third party being present. A second scenario might be if the charge nurse came to the leader and planned to resign unless the leader becomes involved. The final scenario would be if the conflict between the two individuals has impacted team morale and the ability to deliver safe care.

Leaders need to carefully think through what is happening before they take action in conflict situations. Your involvement may be needed but to foster staff growth – consider coaching as the first option.

Read Rose Sherman’s new book – The Nurse Leader Coach: Become the Boss No One Wants to Leave