Like so many other aspects of the healthcare field, the issue of disruptive behavior has few easy answers.
The definition is somewhat subjective - While we can all label and punch in the nose as disruptive behavior, one person’s condescending and belittling remark is another person’s “constructive criticism.”
Knowledge about disruptive behavior rarely changes disruptive behavior - My guess is that most smokers are aware of the risks, but given the number of people that still smoke, it appears that knowledge about the risks of smoking hasn’t affected their behavior. I even know an oncologists that smokes; who’da thunk it!
The context is ripe for disruptive behavior - Fatigue, life or death situations, staffing shortages, failed equipment, emotional trauma, not to mention substance abuse and stress of every day life.
Policies against disruptive behavior are generally inadequate (if they do exist), and poorly enforced – Even if a policy makes me think twice, the threat of punishment doesn’t fix the root problem. A policy is like a latex glove, it only keeps bad stuff from passing, but it has no power to heal or improve.
So now what? If we can’t change the fact that people tend to get sick at very inconvenient times, and education and sanction don’t work, how can we get to the heart of the matter and affect real change? We will explore this issue and some real answers over the coming weeks.
What’s your story? What ideas do you have? How do we get to the heart of the matter? Thanks for contributing!
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As a nurse healthcare is a rea pressure cooker. Perhaps a focus can be to decrease difficult working conditions adding to rentention. Which will imporive general care
ReplyDeleteDonna C, Peoria, IL
It never ceases to amaze me that nurses whine about how rude and disrespectful the docs are, then turn around and treat all of the support people like they are crap. I'm a rad tech and do whatever I can do, as quickly as I can do it, and show care and respect to the people THAT ARE MY PATIENTS TOO! When the docs arent around the nurses treat me like I am an idiot and spending my day playing Doom.
ReplyDeletePractice what you preach!!
ACHE's Frontiers in Health Management devoted their entire recent issue to this subject, and it's well worth the read.
ReplyDeleteI recently was let go from an administrator position because the "system office" took the side of a physician who said I was "too aggressive against physicians" - when the person I was trying to regulate has a history of chasing a fellow physician down hospital corridors with a loaded pistol, dropping his pants in an occupied nursing station for effect, and asking nurses to strip. Apparently, expecting professional behavior from that group was not going to happen. When physicians start to take the responsibility that their licensure allows, and society demands, we will have a more civil workplace and a better health delivery system.
ReplyDeleteTo 'Practice what you preach!!'
ReplyDeleteMy ex-wife was a rad tech and she used to tell me the same type of stories. It would be almost comical if it wasn't so sad. Patients first, professionalism second, privacy third and personalities last ...is how it should be, but it seems most have it backwards. ~sigh~
Mike
Chicago, IL
Ooooops, had that jumbled a bit....privacy second, professionalism third...sorry. ~blush~
ReplyDeleteDid I tell you the one about the drunken neurosurgeon?
ReplyDeleteI am a med/surg nurse, not involved in this incident but not surprised at all. The California surgeon (who had alcohol on his breath) insisted that a surgery we could normally delay get started immediately. When the nurse told him that the instruments that had to be brought in from another hospital were not sterilized yet, he went into a fit of rage. Eventually he had to be escorted out by police. The patient had the procedure done the next day without incident, but the real tragedy is that this doc was later restored with full privileges and ZERO CONSEQUENCES. Why bother to report something when nothing is done!