1.2 What is Conflict?

The first thing to understand about conflict is that it is inevitable (3,4). When we accept conflict as inevitable, we can better anticipate, recognize, and address it in a timely manner. Secondly, and equally important, is that the potential for conflict is inherent in the nature of teamwork, because individuals enter into a team with their own established (and often differing) roles, scopes, senses of accountability, values, experiences, and expectations (3). These are informed by their health professional education, practice, peers, as well as the context of their personal background and life experiences.

Conflict occurs between care providers, but also between providers and the people they are caring for.