When culture and medicine collide

Dental Assistant, The, May-June, 2002 by Julie A. Brow

A PRACTICAL CONFLICT MANAGEMENT PROCESS

(Adapted for health care professionals)

1. Reframe the conflict. Think of it as productive, not destructive. Remember, conflict is inevitable and manageable.

2. This conflict is part of a process that developed over time. Reflect on the situation briefly and address your own feelings, as well as observable facts relevant to the conflict.

3. Arrange the proper place to discuss the situation.

4. Give and request feedback. Invite the person to describe what he or she views are the issues and what those issues mean to him or her. Once the patient is finished, give your perspective of the issues, keeping in mind who and what you are representing. Do not interrupt the other person, and always listen carefully to what he or she says.

5. Brainstorm resolutions to the conflict. Discuss the options and evaluate them. Explore the viable ones.

6. Agree on a plan.

Source: Washington State University (3-4)

Adapted and reprinted from PMA, Jan/Feb 2001, published by the American Association of Medical Assistants, [c] 2001.

REFERENCES

(1.) Cohen C. Prayer as therapy. Hastings Center Report. May/June 2000;30(3): 44-46.

(2.) Roberts L. An office on main street: health care dilemmas in small communities. Hastings Center Report. July/Aug 1999; 29(4):28-37.

(3.) Washington State University. Working through conflict with others. Available at http://www.wsu.edu/~hres/others.htm. Accessed September 7, 2000.

(4.) Washington State University. A practical conflict management process. Available at http://www.wsu.edu/~hres/managing.htm. Accessed September 7, 2000.

Julie A. Brow was employed at the American Society for Clinical Pathologists for three years before becoming a professional writer. She has more than 30 published credits, including publication in the award winning journal, Laboratory Medicine, and a women's health column covering the relationship between heart disease and race in Access.