Conflict management and teamwork in workplace from the perspective of nurses

Abstract

Purpose To examine the relationship between nurses' conflict management strategies and teamwork attitudes. Method This cross-sectional, descriptive, and relational study was conducted with 228 nurses in a hospital in southern Turkey. Data were collected through The TeamSTEPPS Teamwork Attitudes Questionnaire and the Rahim Organizational Inventory-II. Results Of all the nurses, 91.2% reported to have had conflicts. Nurses stated that they mostly used compromising and integrating strategies. Teamwork attitudes questionnaire mean score was 108.28 +/- 11.45. Conflict management strategies are significant predictors of teamwork attitudes and these explain 46% (model 1;R-2 = 0.46;P <.01), and education, gender, units, years of experience explain 2% of the total variance in teamwork attitudes (model 2;R-2 = 0.48;P < .01). Practice Implications Mental health nurses together with manager nurses should focus on improving nurses' teamwork attitudes and constructive conflict management strategies within the team.