Physician–nurse conflict resolution styles in primary health care

AIM: To examine the conflict resolution styles used in the physician–nurse teamwork in primary health care, depending on individual characteristics, contextual factors, and organizational and sociocultural contexts. BACKGROUND: Conflicts significantly affect the quality of healthcare services and staffing challenges, and consequently the performance and efficiency of organizations. Their management plays an important role in any healthcare organizations and deserves the attention of researcher's healthcare management and team leaders. DESIGN: A descriptive, cross‐sectional, correlational design. METHOD: Thomas–Kilmann Conflict MODE Instrument was used on a sample comprising 173 nurses and 125 physicians working in teams at the Community Health Centre Ljubljana, Slovenia, in 2018. RESULTS: The most predominant conflict resolution styles were compromising and avoiding, followed by accommodating, collaborating and competing. The predominant resolution style among nurses was avoiding, and among physicians was compromising. There were statistically significant differences in the conflict resolution style according to gender (χ (2) (1) = 0.035, p < .059), education (χ (2) (1) = 0.014, p < .05) and tenure (χ (2) (1) = 0.025, p < .05). CONCLUSION: Our research results differed from those of other studies, possibly due to the difference in the sample and research setting. They indicated that the specifics of work and situation significantly moderate conflict in healthcare organizations. IMPACT: The established divergence of results indicates the need for future research on conflict in healthcare settings to more consistently consider the situational context and the role of management and/or leadership.