Interpersonal conflicts in nursing through the lens of senior nursing students: A qualitative study

Background: Unmanaged interpersonal conflicts emerge as significant obstacles for the nursing team during daily duties. Observations and discussions with nursing undergraduate students determined the need to explore their perspectives on conflict management in greater depth. Objective: To investigate the perspectives of senior undergraduate nursing students on conflicts experienced by nurses during clinical practice, as well as the strategies employed to manage these conflicts. Design: This is a qualitative descriptive study. Participants: The study involved written interviews with 31 senior undergraduate nursing students from a university in Istanbul, T & uuml;rkiye. Methods: Data were collected between November 23, 2023, and December 4, 2023. Thematic analysis was used. Results: Four themes emerged: (1) Causes of conflicts, (2) Methods for resolving conflicts, (3) Nurse managers' approaches, and (4) Student learning through observation. The themes were organized under 13 sub-themes: ineffective communication, absence of a singular goal, misunderstanding in role boundaries, and lack of professionalism (first theme); transparent communication, absolute loss, integration, and softening (second theme); autonomy in conflict resolution and seeking other professionals to manage conflicts (third theme); positive side of the conflict, negative side of the conflict, and how I would act if I were the nurse manager (fourth theme). Conclusions: Nursing students know that staff nurses and nurse managers play crucial roles in conflict management. Communication issues were identified as significant causes of conflicts. Open communication and the active involvement of nurse managers were determined as essential for effective conflict resolution. Positive outcomes of conflicts included changes in attitudes; however, conflicts were also acknowledged as contributors to workplace stress. The study underscores the importance of equipping nurses with conflict resolution skills through practical educational approaches.