Managing Organizational Conflicts: A Phenomenological Study of Nurse/ Physician Conflicts in Nigerian Hospitals and their Impact on Managed Care Delivery

Abstract

This study builds on and analyzes the conclusions examined the relationships in how nurses resolve their conflicts with doctors. They conclude that “dominance approaches to conflict resolution are associated with low occupational stress levels, whereas the obliging and avoidance approaches are linked to higher stress” and that “seniority and status of nurses affect both their choice of conflict-resolution tactics and the associated stress and job satisfaction levels”. This research furthers the investigation by sieving through the lived experiences of nurses and physicians in Nigeria to ascertain if cultural socializations complicate conflict resolution between nurses and physicians, and if it further adversely affects patient care delivery. This phenomenological study used five thematic questions to interview 100 nurses from five major healthcare facilities across the country, seeking their experience of inter-professional, personal, and ethical conflict in-care of patients. The findings suggest that in Nigeria, cultural socialization weigh heavily on how conflicts are handed, and have a negative impact on healthcare management/delivery. The perceived dominance or professional superiority of physicians over nurses has adverse effect on nursing. The research shows value for collegiality in patient care, and points to new direction in the understanding collaboration.