To assert or not to assert: conflict management and occupational therapy students.

Area of Science:

• Occupational therapy
• Healthcare education
• Conflict resolution

Background:

• Effective conflict resolution is crucial for occupational therapists.
• Students may exhibit unassertive conflict management tendencies.
• Professional demands require strong assertiveness and collaboration skills.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine conflict resolution behaviors in occupational therapy students.
• To identify differences between traditional and nontraditional students.
• To align student behaviors with professional requirements.

Main Methods:

• Descriptive and correlational study design.
• Utilized the Thomas Kilmann's MODE instrument.
• Employed a Conflict Case questionnaire for data collection.

Main Results:

• Traditional students preferred collaboration.
• Nontraditional students favored competing and avoiding conflict.
• Management strategies varied by outcome focus and power dynamics.

Conclusions:

• Occupational therapy education needs to address conflict management training.
• Developing assertiveness and interpersonal skills is vital for leadership.
• Training can help students meet professional demands and the profession's vision.