Conflict Sources and Management in the ICU Setting before and during COVID-19: A Scoping Review of the Literature

Katarzyna Czyż-Szypenbejl, Wioletta Mędrzycka-Dąbrowska, Anna Falcó-Pegueroles and Sandra Lange
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Katarzyna Czyż-Szypenbejl: Department of Anaesthesiology Nursing & Intensive Care, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland
Wioletta Mędrzycka-Dąbrowska: Department of Anaesthesiology Nursing & Intensive Care, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland
Anna Falcó-Pegueroles: Department of Fundamental Care and Medical-Surgital Nursing, School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
Sandra Lange: Department of Internal and Pediatric Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Gdansk, 80-211 Gdansk, Poland

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 3, 1-14

Abstract: Introduction. Conflicts are an inherent part of work within any organisation. They can arise between members of an interdisciplinary team (or between teams representing different departments), between patients and team members/family members, and patients’ families and team members. Various conflict situations among employees may occur, therefore it is very important to identify their causes and take preventive or targeted corrective measures. The aim of this study was to review the available literature concerning conflicts arising in ICUs—their types, methods of expression as well as their management and mitigation. In addition, we reviewed the available literature on the impact of the pandemic on the ICU environment caring for COVID-19 patients. Methods. The databases were searched. Single key words or their combinations using AND or OR operators were entered. Eventually, 15 articles were included in our review, which included two identical papers. Results. Conflicts occurred occasionally or rarely; researchers describing ethical conflicts demonstrated a moderate level of exposure to conflicts. The pandemic created many challenges and ethical dilemmas that are a source of ethical conflict. Conclusions. As conflict by nature remains inevitable, adequate procedures in conflict management should be developed and the leadership of managing personnel should be reinforced, because team members frequently expect guidance from their supervisors. The importance of training in interpersonal communication and crisis situation management in healthcare should therefore be emphasised.

Keywords: ICU conflict; ICU environment; practical management; multi-professional team (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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