A nurse practitioner at a Regional Medical Center was asked to do wound care on a complicated comatose patient. The nurse knocks as they enter the room, introduces themselves, informs the patient why they are there, verifies that this is the right patient, and then describes what they will be doing as they place a barrier under the patient′s leg as they take off the old bandage. Just as the nurse states, ″I am about to put a cold solution to clean your wound. You will feel a stinging sensation,″ the Chief Resident enters the room with their crowd of junior residents, medical students and nurses. The Chief Resident points out in a condescending tone that the patient is in a coma and there is no need to speak to the patient. The Nurse Practitioner replies that hearing is the last sense to go—even for people in a coma. The Chief Resident laughs and says, ′You′d better be able to speak Portuguese, because the patient is from Brazil!″ The Nurse Practitioner thanks the resident and then speaks to the patient in Portuguese. The crowd bursts into laughter and the crimson-faced Chief Resident storms out of the room. _______________________ Negative or unconstructive conflict can be counterproductive for an organization by diverting efforts from goal attainment. Patient care is certainly the goal in this situation/case. In this situation demonstrating conflict and stress, use the following to shape your discussion. Discuss the negative effects of conflict and stress from both an organizational and individual perspective? How should the different characters in this above situation behave differently so the employees experience less stress? If you were the Nurse Practitioner in this situation, what would be your next step? If you were the Chief Resident in this situation, what might you do next? What are your thoughts as to how this situation could or should have been handled? If any, what organizational factors need further exploration? If not an isolated situation, what collaboration may need to occur with the medical staff concerning this reoccurring situation?
