ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The present research was done to examine the fundamental significance and structure of conflict experience of nurses in hospital nursing organizations.METHODS: This qualitative research was conducted by analyzing data collected through in-depth interviews based on Colaizzi's (1978) method of analysis, one of the phenomenological methods of analysis.RESULTS: Statements from the 12 study participants demonstrate two key topics “accumulation of conflicts” and “manifestation of new conflicts” as well as seven sub-topics including “being forced to comply”, “Lack of respect and consideration”, “unsatisfactory conflict management by the leaders”, “continuous and overwhelming vicious cycle”, “prevalence of self-defensive egotism”, “difficult to accept differences”, and “incapable of responding to the structural changes of nursing workforce”.CONCLUSION: Resolving the dysfunctional conflicts in hospital nursing organizations requires not only improvement in the organizational culture of individuals and nursing organizations, but also legal and institutional measures in addition to new attempts to integrate education and research findings from relevant fields of studies.