Tips and Tricks for Managing Conflicts in the Operating Room

​Conflict among those working together in the operating room (OR) is unavoidable at times, but steps can be taken to navigate these situations, according to an article in the March 2017 issue of The Surgical Technologist. Conflict, the author said, is "rooted in disagreements due to people's differences in needs, interests, perception, ideas, desires and values." Because individual needs differ, conflict is "natural, necessary, and most of the time, unavoidable," the author said. Sources of conflict in the OR include inability to cope with stress, personality differences, communication failures, passive aggressiveness, bullying, and lack of empathy or respect. The author proposed healthy approaches to conflict resolution, beginning with defining what the conflict is about and why it is making those involved uncomfortable.