Conflict management strategies used by Portuguese nurse managers

descriptive, correlational study, carried out in Portuguese health services, with an intentional non-probabilistic sample, totaling 95 nurse managers. A questionnaire and Conflict Management Scale were used, analyzing the variables of managerial activities and conflict management, with the aid of software.

Results:

it was identified that 60% of the managers, report having to mediate conflicts daily, and the majority report adopting dialogue in conduct. However, through the Kruskal-Wallis test, it was shown that enforcement strategies in conflict management prevail (p = 0.008), with collaborative ones being more restricted to monthly intervals (p = 0.049).

Conclusions:

managers perceive the importance of collaboration in the mediation of conflicts, however, in their daily lives; they tend to maintain imposing behaviors, signaling for a little transformational leadership style.

Descriptors:
Nursing; Health Management; Health Manager; Health Services Administration; Leadership

Activities performed in the management people	Not performed %	It takes up no time %	Takes up little time %	Takes up some time %	It takes up most of the time %
1. Promote meetings with nurses	10.5	16.8	36.8	30.5	5.3
2. Assist in the shift change	14.9	9.6	27.7	34	13.8
3. Assess nurses' performance	-	6.3	50.5	33.7	9.5
4. Coordinate the process of integration of employees and assume a role of reference	4.2	11.6	42.1	37.9	4.2
5. Calculate nurses' needs according to service conditions	4.2	11.6	42.1	29.5	12.6
6. Guide nurses according to the intensity and complexity of care, using methodologies that allow to calculate, in advance, the number of hours of care needed	10.5	5.3	32.6	44.2	7.4
7. Create, maintain and develop cohesion, team spirit and a work environment, managing conflicts	-	5.3	41.1	38.9	14.5
8. Distribute nurses according to patients' needs	7.4	9.5	38.9	36.8	7.4
9. Promote team commitment and motivation (global view)	-	3.2	46.3	38.9	11.6
10. Ensure formal communication mechanisms for the team and other employees	-	10.5	47.4	35.8	6.3
11. Ensure the planning, organize, coordinate and evaluate the quality of support services	2.1	18.9	37.9	33.7	7.4
12. Acting as a trainer in the multidisciplinary and intradisciplinary team	3.2	10.5	48.4	33.7	4.2
13. Promote and evaluate the professional satisfaction of nurses and other employees	1.1	2.1	48.4	41.1	7.4
14. Create and maintain the conditions for cooperative work among team members	8.4	14.7	38.9	26.3	11.6

Questions (N = 95 participants)	Never/Rarely^* * To better present the results, the options "rarely" and "never" were combined, and accumulated percentages were used, that is, abstentions were excluded, which were at most two, in five questions (%)	Frequently (%)	Always (%)
1. Try to avoid putting yourself in an unpleasant situation and disagreements	21.2	42.6	36.2
2. Avoid open discussions of differences between parties	43	25.8	31.2
3. Try to keep the differences you perceive and are not yet explicit, to avoid resentment	22.1	37.9	40
4. Attempts to satisfy the expectations of the parties involved in the conflict	7.5	42	50.5
5. Seeks to conform to the wishes of those involved	54.7	27.4	17.9
6. Agrees with the solution proposed by the parties	26.3	66.3	7.4
7. Discuss your opinion with the unit's professionals to show your view of the situation	8.5	36.8	54.7
8. It is firm in defending its position on the issue	21.1	58.9	20
9. Supports the solution you have in relation to the problem and usually does not give up on it	25.5	36.2	38.3
10. Negotiate with conflictors so that an agreement can be reached	6.3	47.4	46.3
11. Adopts "give and take", to reach an agreement	31.9	39.4	28.7
12. Proposes a middle ground to resolve the impasses	37.9	54.7	7.4
13. It seeks to reflect on the issue under discussion to find an acceptable solution for you and everyone	5.3	41	53.7
14. Exchange accurate information about the case to solve a problem together	-	36.8	63.2
15. Try to put all concerns on the table so that issues can be resolved in the best way	-	34.7	65.3

Activity	Conflict strategy	P
Assist in the shift change	Accommodation	0.002
Assist in the shift change	Collaboration	0.004
Coordinate the process of integration of employees and assume a role of reference	Conciliation	0.020
Calculate nurses' needs according to service conditions	Accommodation	0.041
Guide nurses according to the intensity and complexity of care, using methodologies that allow calculating, in advance, the number of hours of care needed.	Accommodation	0.023
	Collaboration	0.041
Create, maintain and develop cohesion, team spirit and a work environment, managing conflicts	Accommodation	0.044
Distribute nurses according to patients' needs	Accommodation	0.004
Distribute nurses according to patients' needs	Collaboration	0.000
Ensure the planning, organize, coordinate and evaluate the quality of support services	Accommodation	0.011
	Conciliation	0.029
Create and maintain the conditions for cooperative work among team members	Accommodation	0.001
	Collaboration	0.016

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[1] Corresponding author: Leticia de Lima Trindade. E-mail: letrindade@hotmail.com