Conflict management in public hospitals: the Cyprus case

Abstract

Better communication, fair management practices and clear job descriptions and expectations may be needed in order to facilitate change and reverse the negative atmosphere that exists. Further education in conflict management for physicians, nurses and their managers may also be needed.

Causes of conflict between clinical and administrative staff in hospitals

“…Organizational factors and poor communications were among the most important factors of conflict in these hospitals. [26] Furthermore, ambiguous job descriptions, laws, and instructions have been mentioned as conflict creator factors. [10] Another study highlighted that problems in interpretation of verbal communications, vague information, and disturbance in communication channels create obstacles for efficient communication, and if regulations, methods, behavior of individuals, and groups are not transparent enough, probability of arising conflict and decreased performance or losing efficient staff will be high.…”

Assessment of patient safety climate in accident and emergency departments in Cyprus

“…Arguably, strategies for health care quality assurance and improvement are still not developed and implemented in Cyprus neither by the Ministry of Health nor by hospitals, and quality control is practically absent (10). While there is no quality measurement system developed in Accident and Emergency departments in Cyprus, this study aims at assessment of workforce's attitudes towards safety and quality.…”

Frontline health worker motivation in the provision of maternal and neonatal health care in Ghana

“…Similarly, Brinkert (2010) and Pavlakis et al (2011) suggest that poor communication is a major cause of co-worker conflicts, which can lead to delays in carrying out procedures. Conflicts resulting from communication gaps and weak team spirit between doctors and anaesthetists in the operating theatre have also been documented in the UK (Mohammed et al 2012) and the Canadian (Katz 2007) health care systems.…”