What are the stages of conflict?

• A. Latent stage, perceived conflict, felt conflict, manifest conflict, and conflict aftermath.
• B. Latent conflict, perceived conflict, felt conflict, manifest conflict.
• C. Initiation, escalation, stalemate, de-escalation.
• D. Pre-conflict, conflict, recovery, aftermath.

Answer: (A)

Understanding how conflict develops helps nurses intervene early to protect patient care and teamwork. A well-established model describes five stages in sequence: latent stage, perceived conflict, felt conflict, manifest conflict, and conflict aftermath.

In the latent stage, underlying conditions exist that could fuel conflict—things like unclear roles, scarce resources, or busy workloads. Perceived conflict is when someone becomes aware that a conflict might exist, even if no action has started yet. Felt conflict involves the emotional and psychological response to that perception—anxiety, frustration, or anger. Manifest conflict is the observable behavior that results, such as arguments, criticism, or withdrawal. Finally, conflict aftermath looks at the outcomes—whether a resolution occurs, changes are made, or tensions persist and shape future interactions.

This sequence is the most comprehensive because it includes the aftermath, enabling learning and prevention for future teamwork. The other options either stop earlier in the process, use a different framework that doesn’t map all stages cleanly, or group stages in a way that misses the emotional and procedural progression.