Medical errors are a huge problem in healthcare and most of the time we believe they are due to poor documentation, lack of communication between doctors and nurses, not reading labels etc. The one area that we do not consider a potential cause of medical errors is disruptive behavior. Our jobs are stressful enough without the environment around us being disrupted due to gossip, manipulation, intentionally targeting individuals, sexual innuendos, etc. This can all be classified as workplace bullying which can be very distracting causing medical errors and potential harm to our patients. This article from Becker's ASC Review outlines disruptive behavior and how to eliminate it.
Disruptive behavior in medical settings can be dangerous and life-threatening for patients. It contributes to reduced patient satisfaction, malpractice claims, staff turnover and adverse outcomes, and can include both aggressive verbal and physical behavior and passive behavior such as task refusals or a bad attitude. The following are steps for reducing disruptive behavior from Pascal Metrics, a clinical risk-analytics company:
- Commit to reducing disruptive behavior at all levels of the organization.
- Create and enforce clear policies regarding disruptive behavior.
- Reduce negative emotions by positioning employees for success.
- Perform regular measurements of disruptive behavior
For more information about disruptive workplace behavior or to read the entire article visit Becker's ASC Review.
As professionals, as well as adults, I hope you take this issue very seriously. We as anesthesia providers, need to be role models for other staff in the facilities that we work, not be the ones blamed for some of the behaviors listed in the article. ASG takes this very seriously and will address all issues brought to the forefront.