POLICY TITLE: Conflict Management (PSF)
DEPARTMENT: HRD / ORIGINATION DATE: 12/2009
CATEGORY: / EFFECTIVE DATE: 11/30/2012

SCOPE: Leadership, associates.

PURPOSE:

To identify processes to resolve conflict between members of Penrose-St. Francis Hospital’s (PSF) leadership groups in relation to roles, accountabilities, policies/ practices, and procedures that have the potential to affect the safety or quality of care, treatment or services.

STATEMENT OF POLICY:

PROCEDURE:

  1. Organizational structures are in place to provide a forum for professional dialogue to address concerns and avoid conflicts where possible. These include but are not limited to:

Human Resource Department

Hospital Leadership

Chain of Command Process

General leadership meetings

Director meetings

Individual meetings with senior leader(s) and Director(s)/Manager(s)

Patient safety committee

Medical Leadership

Medical department meetings or physician committees

Individual meetings between department chairs and department members

Medical Executive Committee

Board of Director Meetings

2. PSF implements this policy when a conflict arises that, if not managed, could adversely affect patient safety or quality of care. Individuals who help the organization implement the process, whether from inside or outside the organization, are skilled in conflict management.

PROCEDURE:

The conflict management process:

Every reasonable attempt should be made to address issues of conflict at the local level; through the chain of command. When this is not possible or not successful, then

The CEO/designee, CMO and/or CNO, Chief of the Medical Staff and Chairperson of the Board of Directors should collaborate to take action to address the conflict:

  • Determine the source of conflict and the parties involved
  • Determine who should be included in the discussion
  • Determine the appropriate setting to meet
  • Determine the need to designate an internal “facilitator” to lead the discussion or to the need to utilize a neutral third party from outside the organization. See Appendix A for guidelines for facilitating conflict resolution.
  • Meet with the involved parties as early as possible to:
  • Gather information
  • Work with the parties to manage and resolve the conflict
  • Identify immediate action, if necessary, to protect the safety and quality of care

Any issues that involve physician quality of care should be handled through the department peer review process.

Issues involving patient safety and non-physician quality of care should be handled through the patient safety committee and/or nursing peer review.

The Hospital Board Chair and/or Hospital Board shall make the final decision.

DOCUMENTATION:

The findings/recommendation(s) of the conflict resolution process will be communicated to the Executive Team, Medical Executive Committee and Board of Directors.

REFERENCES AND SOURCES OF EVIDENCE:

  1. Lipcamon, J., Maine Waring, B.A., Conflict Resolution in Healthcare Management. Radiology, Management, 26(3):48-51, 2004
  2. TLC Standard; LD 01.03.01
  3. Vivar, C.G., Putting Conflict Management into Practice: A Nursing Study. Nurse Management; 14:201-206, 2006.

APPENDIX A:

GUIDELINES FOR MEDIATING CONFLICT

  • Gather information: Identify key issues without making accusations. Focus on what the issues are, not who did what. Do not accuse, find fault, call names, etc.
  • Each party states their position and how it has affected them. Others listen attentively and respectively without interruption.
  • Each party, in turn, repeats or describes as best they can the other’s position to the listener’s satisfaction (c.f. Franklin Covey’s fifth habit “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”)
  • Parties try to view the issue from other points of view besides the two conflicting points
  • Parties brainstorm to find the middle ground, a point of balance, creative solutions, etc.
  • Each party volunteers what he or she can do to resolve the conflict or solve the problem
  • A formal agreement is drawn with agreed-upon actions for both parties
  • A procedure is identified should disagreement arise
  • Progress is monitored

DEFINITIONS: Not applicable

POLICY VIOLATION

Any Centura associate who fails to abide by this policy may be subject to disciplinary action, including termination.

APPROVAL BODY (IES): Interdisciplinary Practice Committee
REVIEW/REVISION DATES:
12/09 / APPROVAL DATES: 11/30/2012

All official Centura Health policies are maintained electronically and are subject to change. No printed policy should be taken as the official policy except to the extent it is consistent with the current policy that is electronically maintained. Policies apply to all hospitals, emergency centers and community clinics that are part of Centura Health.

Conflict Management

Page 1 of 3