In going about our daily personal and professional lives, all of us come into contact with numerous other individuals. In both of these spheres, the private and the public, conflict and disputes will arise. Though the nature or substance of the dispute may differ, and the emotional context may change, disputes must be dealt with; they must be resolved in order for people to move forward. One of the questions that confronts the people involved in a dispute is how to deal with conflict in the most positive way possible. Conflicts in health care have some unique characteristics and originating factors, which we will discuss later; however, they are similar to all other conflicts in that they are unavoidable and inevitable. What is avoidable is escalation and negative outcomes.