C HAPTER 08: C OMMUNICATION AND
C ONFLICT
Yoder-Wise: Leading and Managing in Nursing, 8th Edition
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Mrs. Hill, aged 68, was hospitalized after a stroke. The speech therapist
recommended that oral feeding be stopped because of her dysplasia.
During visiting hours, Mr. Hill fed his wife some noodles. The nurse
noticed this and stopped Mr. Hill from feeding his wife, telling him it was
the doctor’s decision. An hour later, the nurse returned and found Mr. Hill
feeding his wife again. The nurse tried to stop him again. Mr. Hill refused
and claimed that the clinical staff was trying to starve his wife; he also
threatened to get violent with the nurse. The nurse decided to walk away
and documented the event in Mrs. Hill ’s chart. The outcome as depicted
by Thomas’ conflict stages can be considered to be:
a. compromising.
b. confronting.
c. constructive.
d. destructive.
ANS: D
Resolution was absent because the nurse did not have time to
effectivel y deal with the issues in the conflict. This can lead to
negativit y, increased frustration, and further distancing between
individuals or groups, including between patients and nurses.
, TOP: AONE competency: Communication and Relationship -
Building
2. Jill is the head nurse on a unit in a large hospital. Two of the staff nurses
are constantl y arguing and blaming each other, and a resolution has not
occurred in months. To solve the existing conflict, which is the most
creative conflict resolution?
a. Avoiding
b. Competing
c. Compromising
d. Collaborating
ANS: D
Collaboration, although time consuming, is the most creative stance.
The collaboration technique involves both sides in t he conflict working
together to develop an optimal outcome. This results in a win -win
solution.
TOP: AONE competency: Communication and Relationship -
Building
3. A nurse educator is giving a workshop on conflict. During the sessions, he
makes various statements regarding conflict. All of the statements are true
except:
a. conflict can decrease creativit y, thus acting as a deterrent for the
development of new ideas.
b. horizontal violence involves those with similar status but little
power in the larger context.
c. interprofessional collaboration reduces unresolved conflicts.
, d. all conflicts involve some level of disagreement.
ANS: A
The opposite is true because research has shown that conflict, like
change, increases creativit y and allows for the development of new
ideas.
TOP: AONE competency: Communication and Relationship -
Building
4. Sarah is a nurse manager in a surgical unit. She is concerned about a
conflict between Lucy (a staff nurse) and one of the maintenance
personnel. Sarah explains to Lucy that unsatisfactory resolution of the
conflict is t ypicall y destructive and will result in:
a. decreased frustration between the maintenance worker and her.
b. a good relationship with the maintenance department.
c. eventual resolution of the problem without further intervention.
d. decreased productivity on her part.
ANS: D
Productivit y decreases with destructive conflict, whereas constructive
conflict strengthens relationships.
TOP: AONE competency: Communication and Relationship -
Building
C ONFLICT
Yoder-Wise: Leading and Managing in Nursing, 8th Edition
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. Mrs. Hill, aged 68, was hospitalized after a stroke. The speech therapist
recommended that oral feeding be stopped because of her dysplasia.
During visiting hours, Mr. Hill fed his wife some noodles. The nurse
noticed this and stopped Mr. Hill from feeding his wife, telling him it was
the doctor’s decision. An hour later, the nurse returned and found Mr. Hill
feeding his wife again. The nurse tried to stop him again. Mr. Hill refused
and claimed that the clinical staff was trying to starve his wife; he also
threatened to get violent with the nurse. The nurse decided to walk away
and documented the event in Mrs. Hill ’s chart. The outcome as depicted
by Thomas’ conflict stages can be considered to be:
a. compromising.
b. confronting.
c. constructive.
d. destructive.
ANS: D
Resolution was absent because the nurse did not have time to
effectivel y deal with the issues in the conflict. This can lead to
negativit y, increased frustration, and further distancing between
individuals or groups, including between patients and nurses.
, TOP: AONE competency: Communication and Relationship -
Building
2. Jill is the head nurse on a unit in a large hospital. Two of the staff nurses
are constantl y arguing and blaming each other, and a resolution has not
occurred in months. To solve the existing conflict, which is the most
creative conflict resolution?
a. Avoiding
b. Competing
c. Compromising
d. Collaborating
ANS: D
Collaboration, although time consuming, is the most creative stance.
The collaboration technique involves both sides in t he conflict working
together to develop an optimal outcome. This results in a win -win
solution.
TOP: AONE competency: Communication and Relationship -
Building
3. A nurse educator is giving a workshop on conflict. During the sessions, he
makes various statements regarding conflict. All of the statements are true
except:
a. conflict can decrease creativit y, thus acting as a deterrent for the
development of new ideas.
b. horizontal violence involves those with similar status but little
power in the larger context.
c. interprofessional collaboration reduces unresolved conflicts.
, d. all conflicts involve some level of disagreement.
ANS: A
The opposite is true because research has shown that conflict, like
change, increases creativit y and allows for the development of new
ideas.
TOP: AONE competency: Communication and Relationship -
Building
4. Sarah is a nurse manager in a surgical unit. She is concerned about a
conflict between Lucy (a staff nurse) and one of the maintenance
personnel. Sarah explains to Lucy that unsatisfactory resolution of the
conflict is t ypicall y destructive and will result in:
a. decreased frustration between the maintenance worker and her.
b. a good relationship with the maintenance department.
c. eventual resolution of the problem without further intervention.
d. decreased productivity on her part.
ANS: D
Productivit y decreases with destructive conflict, whereas constructive
conflict strengthens relationships.
TOP: AONE competency: Communication and Relationship -
Building
