Resolve the conflict

Helping resolve a conflict and promote collaboration with in the group

Writing Assignment Rubric
Note: Scholarly resources are defined as evidence-based practice, peer-reviewed journals; textbook
(do not rely solely on your textbook as a reference); and National Standard Guidelines. Review
assignment instructions, as this will provide any additional requirements that are not specifically listed
on the rubric.

Writing Assignment Rubric – 100 Points

Criteria Exemplary
Exceeds

Expectations

Advanced
Meets

Expectations

Intermediate
Needs Improvement

Novice
Inadequate

Content of
Paper

The writer
demonstrates a
well-articulated
understanding
of the subject
matter in a
clear, complex,
and informative
manner. The
paper content
and theories
are well
developed and
linked to the
paper
requirements
and practical
experience.
The paper
includes
relevant
material that
fulfills all
objectives of
the paper.

Follows the
assignment
instructions
around
expectations
for scholarly

references.

Uses scholarly
resources that
were not
provided in the
course
materials.

All instruction
requirements

The writer
demonstrates
an
understanding
of the subject
matter, and
components
of the paper
are accurately
represented
with
explanations
and
application of
knowledge to
include
evidence-
based
practice,
ethics, theory,
and/or role.
Course
materials and
scholarly
resources
support
required
concepts. The
paper
includes
relevant
material that
fulfills all
objectives of
the paper.

Follows the
assignment
instructions
around
expectations
for scholarly

The writer demonstrates
a moderate
understanding of the
subject matter as
evidenced by
components of the
paper being
summarized with
minimal application to
evidence-based
practice, theory, or role-
development. Course
content is present but
missing depth and or
development.

Does not follow the
assignment instructions
around expectations for
scholarly references.
Only uses scholarly
resources that were
provided in the course
materials.

Most instruction

requirements are

noted.

2

3 points

Absent
application to
evidence-
based
practice,
theory, or role
development.
Use of course
content is
superficial.

Demonstrates
incomplete
understanding
of content
and/or
inadequate
preparation.

Content of
paper is
inaccurately
portrayed or
missing.

Does not
follow the
assignment
instructions
around
expectations
for scholarly
references.
Does not use
scholarly
resources.

Missing some
instruction
requirements.

20 points

noted.

30 points

references.

All instruction
requirements
noted.

26 points

Analysis
and

Synthesis of
Paper

Content and
Meaning

Through critical
analysis, the
submitted
paper provides
an accurate,
clear, concise,
and complete
presentation of
the required
content.

Information
from scholarly
resources is
synthesized,
providing new
information or
insight related
to the context
of the
assignment by
providing both
supportive and
alternative
information or
viewpoints.

All instruction
requirements
noted.

30 points

Paper is
complete,
providing
evidence of
further
synthesis of
course
content via
scholarly
resources.

Information is
synthesized
to help fulfill
paper
requirements.
The content
supports at
least one
viewpoint.

All instruction
requirements
noted.

26 points

Paper lacks clarification
or new information.
Scholarly reference
supports the content
without adding any new
information or insight.
The paper’s content
may be confusing or
unclear, and the
summary may be
incomplete.

Most instruction

requirements are noted.

23 points

Submission is
primarily a
summation of
the
assignment
without further
synthesis of
course
content or
analysis of
the scenario.

Demonstrates
incomplete
understanding
of content
and/or
inadequate
preparation.

Missing some
instruction
requirements.

Submits
assignment
late.

20 points

Application
of

Knowledge

The summary
of the paper
provides
information
validated via
scholarly
resources that
offer a
multidisciplinary
approach.

The student’s
application in
practice is
accurate and

A summary of
the paper’s
content,
findings, and
knowledge
gained from
the
assignment is
presented.

Student
indicates how
the
information
will be used

Objective criteria are not
clearly used, allowing
for a more superficial
application of content
between the assignment
and the broader course
content.

Student’s indication of
how they will apply this
new knowledge to their
clinical practice is
vague.

Most instruction

The
application of
knowledge is
significantly
lacking.

Student’s
indication of
how they will
apply this new
knowledge to
their clinical
practice is not
practical or
feasible.

plausible, and
additional
scholarly
resource(s)
supporting the
application is
provided.

All questions
posed within
the assignment
are answered
in a well-
developed
manner with
citations for
validation.

All instruction
requirements
noted.

30 points

within their
professional
practice.

All instruction
requirements
noted.

26 points

requirements are noted.

23 points
Demonstrates
incomplete
understanding
of content
and/or
inadequate
preparation.

Application of
knowledge is
incorrect
and/or
student fails
to explain
how the
information
will be used
within their
personal
practice.

Missing
several
instruction
requirements.

Submits
assignment
late.

20 points

Organization Well-organized
content with a
clear and
complex
purpose
statement and
content
argument.
Writing is
concise with a
logical flow of
ideas.

5 points

Organized
content with
an informative
purpose
statement and
supportive
content and
summary
statement.
Argument
content is
developed
with minimal
issues in
content flow.

4 points

Poor organization, and
flow of ideas distract
from content. Narrative
is difficult to follow and
frequently causes
reader to reread work.

Purpose statement is
noted.

3 points

Illogical flow
of ideas.
Missing
significant
content.
Prose
rambles.
Purpose
statement is
unclear or
missing.

Demonstrates
incomplete
understanding
of content
and/or
inadequate
preparation.

No purpose
statement.

Submits
assignment
late.

2 points

APA,
Grammar,

and Spelling

Correct APA
formatting with
no errors.

The writer
correctly
identifies
reading
audience, as
demonstrated
by appropriate
language
(avoids jargon
and simplifies
complex
concepts
appropriately).

Writing is
concise, in
active voice,
and avoids
awkward
transitions and
overuse of
conjunctions.

There are no
spelling,
punctuation, or
word-usage
errors.

5 points

Correct and
consistent
APA
formatting of
references
and cites all
references
used. No
more than two
unique APA
errors.

The writer
demonstrates
correct usage
of formal
English
language in
sentence
construction.
Variation in
sentence
structure and
word usage
promotes
readability.

There are
minimal to no
grammar,
punctuation,
or word-
usage errors.

4 points

Three to four unique
APA formatting errors.

The writer occasionally
uses awkward sentence
construction or
overuses/inappropriately
uses complex sentence
structure. Problems with
word usage (evidence of
incorrect use of
thesaurus) and
punctuation persist,
often causing some
difficulties with
grammar. Some words,
transitional phrases, and
conjunctions are
overused.

Multiple grammar,
punctuation, or word
usage errors.

3 points

Five or more
unique
formatting
errors or no
attempt to
format in
APA.

The writer
demonstrates
limited
understanding
of formal
written
language use;
writing is
colloquial
(conforms to
spoken
language).

The writer
struggles with
limited
vocabulary
and has
difficulty
conveying
meaning such
that only the
broadest,
most general
messages are
presented.

Grammar and
punctuation
are
consistently
incorrect.
Spelling
errors are
numerous.

Submits
assignment
late.

2 points

Total Points

Imagine that you are a leadership consultant.

1. Using your example of conflict in your professional practice (from 

Week 4 Discussion 1: Conflict in the Workplace

), build on the readings, videos, and peer input you received.

2. Critically analyze the situation and create a plan that would have helped to resolve the conflict and promote collaboration among the group.

3. Your plan should include a minimum of five scholarly references not counting assigned texts, and be seven to eight pages long (page count does not include the cover page or references list). Review your conflict scenario and include the following:

·
Comprehension: Review the details of the conflict scenario, identifying the type and effects of the conflict.

·
Application: Relate course content on delegation, empowerment, group dynamics, and constructive group roles and behaviors to the identified conflict scenario.

·
Analysis/Synthesis: Clarify understanding of the internal and external variables contributing to the conflict. Create a plan that would have helped to resolve the conflict and promote a high-functioning healthcare team.

·
Evaluation: Summarize the value of effective conflict-resolution skills for the nurse leader.

Conflict discussion from week 4 to write from:

There were many situations where conflict has arisen but one that sticks out that had a resolution attached to it was one when I was a new graduate nurse. When I was a new graduate nurse, it was very hard to establish yourself as a nurse when you are the new person on the floor. It was also intimidating because I was new, and there were people who have been on the floor for way longer than I have. I feel as though, this is an ongoing conflict that not only I had encountered, but many other nurses have encountered as well. I also don’t believe that this is just for the new grad nurses. I believe that this happens when someone is new, someone is traveling, or the person may be easily taken advantage of.

As a nurse on a medical surgical unit, sometimes we are overwhelmed by the amount of medication passes that we must do. For us to do our medication passes correctly, we like must have the correct vital signs. I was having a power struggle with one of the nurse assistants on the floor. This does not come to a surprise to me because struggles over issues of control are very common in interpersonal conflict (Northouse, 2021). She was working there for over five years and felt as if she could do as she pleases. When getting the vital signs, sometimes they do not cross over immediately on our side of things so that we can see them. It was time for another medication pass, and the nurse assistant did not alert me that one of my patients’ blood pressures was way above average. We are supposed to be alerted of out-of-range vital signs. She did not do her duty and communicate this because she did not particularly like me. In hindsight, she put the patient’s safety at risk because she had a vendetta against me as a new nurse. This conflict effected me with my satisfaction on the job and also had a negative impact on the patient (Huber, 2019).

If I was alerted about the above average blood pressure, it would have prompted me to administer medication passes in a different order than I was currently doing so. I would have promptly gone to the patient’s room to administer their blood pressure medications first instead of whatever order that they were in. This frustrated me immensely. What the nurse assistant did was put my license on the line.

I reported this to my manager after I administered the patients’ medications. We both went to her office and talked about the situation. The nurse assistant was very stale during the conversation and basically said she was busy getting calls and that it slipped her mind. She explained to her that the registered nurses are the ones that will be at fault if something goes wrong with a patient. She also explained that it is important to communicate between the nurses so that the patient may receive the best care possible. She also mentioned that nurses can do a nurse assistance job, but a nurse assistant is not trained or licensed to do a registered nurses’ job. So therefore, it is imperative to have that open line of communication between the two. In this situation the manager made sure that it was not about us as individuals, but about what’s best for the patient. It took the focus off of us and made sure that we did our best to communicate for the patients’ well-being (Northouse, 2021).

Huber, D. L. (2019). Organizational Climate and Culture. In Leadership and nursing care management (6th ed., pp. 50–56). introduction, Elsevier.

Northouse, P. G. (2021). Introduction to leadership: Concepts and practice (5th ed.). Sage.

Some responses that my classmates gave:

Hello,

It is unfortunate what you have gone through in your first year as a nurse. What the nursing assistant did was out of line, and they should have never put a patient’s life in jeopardy for the simple fact that they do not like you. Also, great job on reporting it directly to your manager because it truly shows that your top priorities are your patients and not tolerating bullying or inappropriate behavior. Interpersonal conflict in the workplace can draw attention away from the patient, thus causing a decrease in quality patient care (Cullati et al., 2019). In this situation, the conflict management style of compromising could have been useful. In compromising, you could have introduced a conversation with the nursing assistant to find an appropriate solution that benefits the both of you (Alan et al., 2022). This style requires people skills, which a new nurse might not yet have developed, which would make the task difficult. The nursing assistant may be used to dealing with nurses that do not give the proper respect she deserves. When compromising, it makes people feel heard and you are willing to work with them as a team. You may also gain respect from the nursing assistant because the desire to compromise shows a sign of maturity. Another conflict management strategy that can be effective in your past situation was separating the person from the issue (Northouse, 2021). Instead of constantly pointing out things that the nursing assistant did, it might be a good idea to confront the problem with her and try to work with her. It is beneficial to separate the person from the problem because there is more of an inclination to work together to solve issues. Work together and attack the problem, not one another. It may seem like these conflict management strategies may not work based on the personality of the nursing assistant, but it may have worked with her after the meeting with the nurse manager. The reason for this is because she may have realized she made a mistake, and it was seen by the nurse manager, and she may felt more inclined to make appropriate decisions because she thought she was invincible.

References

Alan, H., Gül, D., & Baykal, Ü. (2022). The relationship between the conflict management strategies and ethical leadership behaviours of nurse managers perceived by nurses. Journal of Nursing Management (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.), 30(7), 2370–2378. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.13840

Cullati, S., Bochatay, N., Maître, F., Laroche, T., Muller-Juge, V., Blondon, K. S., Junod Perron, N., Bajwa, N. M., Viet Vu, N., Kim, S., Savoldelli, G. L., Hudelson, P., Chopard, P., & Nendaz, M. R. (2019). When team conflicts threaten quality of care: A study of health care professionals’ experiences and perceptions. Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Innovations, Quality & Outcomes, 3(1), 43–51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocpiqo.2018.11.003

Thanks for sharing, I know when a new nurse starts in the field these issues of control are frequently seen. What this nurse assistant did was not right by any means and it’s a tough situation when a nurse starts to feel like their license is being put on the line. However, I think the situation was handled very well. I am interested to learn if you were able to continue working with this nurse assistant without further conflict? In my experience these situations often lead to “bad blood” between team members and it is difficult to rekindle an effective working relationship afterwards.

Your manager did an excellent job at resolving this conflict by focusing on the fact that it’s not about the two of you verses each other, but instead it’s about the patient and being able to deliver the best care possible. This is the goal of both parties’ jobs and when the patient receives high quality care it’s a win-win for both of you (Northhouse, 2021). It also sounds as though your nurse manager was able to keep an open line of communication and look at the situation objectively. In Booth et al. (2018) a crucial conversation was defined as “a discussion between 2 or more individuals when the stakes are high, opinions differ, and emotions are elevated”. With your patient’s safety being at risk, the stakes were high and likely the nursing assistant believed she needed to get to those calls, I know their jobs can be insanely busy at times. This type of conversation is designed to be inclusive for both parties to reach an effective solution (Boothe et al., 2018). I applaud your manager for their ability confront the conflict and handle it so well, an excellent example of leadership.

References:

Boothe, A., Frasier, N., Weaver, C., & White-Kiehle, J. (2018). Resolving Conflict: What Does the Giraffe Say? Nurse Leader, 16(2), 121–126. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mnl.2017.10.008

Northhouse, P.G. (2021). Introduction to leadership: Concepts and practice (5th ed., pp. 277-297). Sage.