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Facility
Incivility: Will the Meek REALLY Inherit the Earth? Some insist
that you cannot control the obnoxious behavior of your doctors and
your colleagues. They say that the only thing that you can control
is “your own reactions” to such conduct. This passive
sentiment calls to mind the (slightly amended) biblical passage: Being passive
in the face of uncivil manners causes your outpatient facility atmosphere
to be psychologically damaging. A mature, strong, and appropriate
response can alter that rude behavior. Haven’t you gotten tired
of being meek? Of being taken advantage of by the unjust? I don’t
mean for you to be rude, mean, or uncivil yourself. I don’t
want the Jedi Knight in you to go over to the Dark Side. You must
learn how to stand your ground, and calmly insist on being treated
in a polite fashion. You need to take the time necessary to teach
your physicians and coworkers civil behavior. Much of the
responsibility for our ongoing nursing shortage, after low wages
and erratic schedules, comes from incivility amongst the medical
staff. Heated nurse-physician interactions depress nursing morale
(Rosenstein, 2002), and contribute to staff shortages and departure
from careers in medicine. Uncivil behavior amongst staff harms our
patients as revealed in studies in the ICU setting by Shortell (1994)
and Knaus (1986). Patients in uncivil units experienced higher death
rates or longer lengths of stay in the hospital. Civil units had
an easier time retaining their staff. Thus, we need to teach staff
the tools to take control over rude behavior in our hospitals, for
our patients’ sakes as well as our own welfare. I do not preach
that insistence on respectful conduct will transform your associates’
overall behaviors, enhance their personality forever, or even give
them fresh minty breath. However, “medical people” are
smart, and are trainable. The pharmaceutical industry demonstrates
this daily with their pens and pads of paper, subliminally schooling
doctors to write their medications. You will not be able to affect
a life charge, a persona change. But you should be able to tutor
them to act in a consistently appropriate manner when around you.
You must simply begin to stand firm and be resolute that you will
be treated civilly. We need to teach
outpatient surgery staff behavior modification techniques, both
subliminal and overt, to cure our incivility epidemic. We deserve
a sane, courteous, collaborative workplace. Trade meek for
moxie today. Take back your umbrella. Virginia Beach
gastroenterologist, Patricia L. Raymond M.D. FACG is an author and
consultant, who speaks to nurses and physicians through hospital
systems and medical conventions. With her company Rx For Sanity™,
she humorously leads physicians and nurses to rediscover their joy
in medicine and to learn to first “Turn Care Inward”.
Her book, “Don’t Jettison Medicine: Resuscitate Your Passion
For The Career You Loved!” is available now. Visit www.RxForSanity.com
soon for complimentary information and links to better care for
yourself and for your staff, and to subscribe to our FREE monthly
newsletter, Rx For Sanity™ eNews, with medical humor and simple tips
to enhance your life in Medicine.
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About Dr. Raymond • Speaking Topics • Articles • The Sanity Store • Sensational Free Stuff Subscribe to Passionate Health Care Newsletter Subscribe to Your Health Choice Newsletter Patricia L. Raymond, MD FACP FACG 757-547-0368 • 757-547-7727(Fax) • PLRaymond at RxForSanity.com All Rights Reserved. © 2007 Patricia L. Raymond |
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