Conflict management behavior of the staff nurse.

The purpose of this study was to determine the conflict management behavior modes most often employed by the registered staff nurse at McKay-Dee hospital Center in Ogden, Utah and St. Mark’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah. To accomplish this objective, a descriptive approach was employed using a questionnaire, and adaptation of the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument, along with a demographic information form. This questionnaire contains 30 forced-choice statements, allowing the participant to select each of five behavior modes from 0 (for very low) to 12 (for high use) times each. Analysis of the results revealed that all five behavior modes were used to differing degrees. The avoidance mode was used with the greatest frequency, followed by the compromise mode, with the accommodation mode third, collaboration fourth, and the competing mode being used the least. The chi-square statistic was used in determining if a relationship existed between the behavior mode selection and the age, sex, extent of basic and higher education, length of Nursing; experience, and experience in conflict management class. Analysis of each of the areas revealed a probability value greater than .25 (p?.25) leading to the conclusion that there was not a significant relationship between the behavior mode selected and the characteristics of the group being examined.