A COMPARISON OF SELF REPORTED CONFLICT MANAGEMENT MODES OF NURSING STUDENTS IN RESPONSE TO A WRITTEN TEST, VIDEO TAPE SIMULATIONS, AND CURRICULUM CONTENT.
Contributors: University of San Francisco.
Published: 1987
Number of pages: 212
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Psychology, Personality.; Education, Social Sciences.
Description: Unresolved conflicts between nurses and their patients, their peers and their supervisors have been identified as one of the major causes of burnout and exit from the nursing profession. Many nursing curricula do not include confrontation or conflict management skills.

This research investigated the self-reported conflict management styles of associate degree nursing students in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area and the relationship/s between their styles, their reactions to video-taped simulated situations and to curriculum content in conflict management.

All course outlines and syllabi of associate degree nursing programs were examined for conflict management content using the Conflict Management Content Survey.

The Thomas-Kilmann Conflict MODE Instrument (TKCMI), a paper-and-pencil test, measured preferred conflict management styles; simulated styles were measured using videotaped vignettes from the Gerrard and Anderson's Behavioral Test for Interpersonal Skills (BTIS). Five conflict modes were identified: collaborating, compromising; accommodating, competing, and avoiding.

The TKCMI indicated that first semester students chose compromising (35%) as their primary style while third semester students (66%) chose equally between avoidance and compromise. The BTIS however, revealed that competition was the preferred conflict management style for both first and third semester students.

Using Chi square analyses throughout, no significant differences were noted between the first and third semester students' conflict management styles on either the TKCMI or the BTIS. However, significant differences (p $<$.001) were noted when comparing all subjects scores on the TKCMI versus the BTIS.

Significant differences (p $<$.05) were noted between first and third semester subjects in responses to four conflict situations. In supplemental analysis, significant differences (p $<$.0001) were noted in comparisons between conflicts initiated by a patient with those of a peer, female and male authority figures.

Major conclusions reached were: (1) significant differences exist between self-reported and simulated conflict management styles; (2) subjects responses differ according to the initiator of the conflict; (3) significant differences in conflict styles are noted when comparing the responses of a conflict initiated by a patient with a peer or with female and male authority figures, and (4) a paucity of conflict management content exists in associate degree nursing curricula.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 53-02, Section: B, page: 0777.

Thesis (ED.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO, 1987.

School code: 6019.