The right to be rude: managing of conflict

Burnell, Richard Ian

Richard Ian Burnell is conflict practitioner, Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals Trust, and visiting lecturer, Birmingham City University School of Nursing Midwifery and Social Work.

• This article has been double-blind peer reviewed

5 key points

1 Research indicates that many complaints made in the NHS relate to staff attitude

2 A patient's frustration may come across as rudeness

3 Healthcare staff should try not to take complaints personally

4 Taking inappropriate behaviour personally can result in the situation escalating, rather than being resolved

5 Not all inappropriate behaviour is abusive

Nursing Times 112(2):p 16-19, January 13, 2016.

While staff may have to deal with patients who are unhappy or frustrated with the service or care they receive, some simple strategies can help define conflict

In this article…

> Differentiating between inappropriate and abusive behaviour

> Causes and consequences of rudeness

> Strategies staff can implement to resolve conflicts

NHS staff are expected to behave respectfully and courteously to patients, but the same standards of behaviour do not apply to patients. While abusive behaviour is unacceptable from patients, what may be perceived as “rudeness” is often a result of emotions or other factors that may not be obvious. If healthcare staff see such patients as rude, it may negatively affect the care they give. This article discusses what may lie behind “rude” behaviour and presents a model that staff can use to reframe their perceptions of and responses to it to ensure a positive outcome.