Introduction
Medicine, as a field that affects the most important interests of every person’s life and health, cannot exist without conflicts. In defending these interests, even against an imagined threat, a person can easily cross reasonable boundaries. Moreover, communicating with a patient involves conveying critical information that promotes his early recovery and mobilizes his resources. However, in practice, due to overload at work, medical workers are exhausted. Therefore, their approach to communicating with patients is not always appropriate, leading to pro-professional and interpersonal conflicts. The following situation is presented for review to understand the causes and solutions to conflicts in more detail.
Discussion
Michael, 54 years old, began experiencing difficulty breathing, a dry cough, chest pains, and weakness several years ago. He went to the hospital to find out the cause of his worsening condition and found out that he had a lung tumor. The treatment gave positive results, but after some time, the illness returned, and this caused Michael to become dissatisfied with his previous approach to treatment. The nurse who cared for Michael had been working with seriously ill people for decades, and she understood the seriousness of a lung tumor like no one else. However, she remembered Michael’s story in particular because the patient demanded constant attention and was convinced that his condition was more important than the well-being of people whose problems were not so serious.
During the first treatment, the nurse and Michael clashed over personal values. Michael valued compassion and respect for his feelings, while the nurse focused on fair allocation of time, clear commitment, and an honest assessment of recovery. After Michael’s symptoms returned, he has admitted to a surgical hospital with the same nurse, and the tension between them was high from the beginning. The nurse tried to perform every manipulation as quickly and as well as possible, but Michael lacked the staff’s attention and compassion for his well-being, which led to conflicts. One day, a nurse who was taking care of a patient’s care told him that his condition was hopeless and that treatment would be ineffective, possibly giving him lung cancer.
Conclusion
As a result, Michael decided not to continue treatment because he was not getting the attention he deserved and felt there was no chance of recovery.