Determination of the types of conflict experienced by student nurses

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of this study is to identify the types of conflict experienced by university students and to determine whether demographic factors have an effect on the types of organizational conflicts.

Methodology: The population of the study included 387 students from the Nursing School of Ataturk University between April 2009 and June 2009. The sample group consisted of 323 students who volunteered to participate in the research. Data were collected by using a questionnaire form that included questions about the age, gender, grade level and marital status of the students and educational level of their parents, and applying "Rahim's Organizational Conflict Scale".

Results: According to the results, 27.9% of the students who participated in the research were first-year students, 25.7% were second-year students, 26.3% were third-year students and 20.1% were fourth-year students. The total score mean that the students obtained from the organizational conflict scale was 55.13+/-7.76 and the highest mean was obtained from the subscale of intra-group conflict. When the scores of intra-group conflict subscale and their distribution according to grade levels were examined, a statistically significant difference was found between the grade levels.

Conclusions: It was demonstrated that the organizational conflict score of the students was of medium level and that the organizational conflict level was affected by characteristics such as age, grade level, and the individuals whom the students experience conflict with. These results indicate that the level of organizational conflict is determined by some individual characteristics, and reveal the necessity of taking these characteristics into consideration in future studies.