Medical Staff

Causes of disruptive physician behavior

Hospitalist Leadership Connection, June 13, 2007

Few institutions have adopted clear, written expectations of physician behavior. However, many are surprised when a physician displays "unacceptable" behavior.

But before you sit down to compile your expectations and write a policy, consider physicians' concerns, limits, and frustrations. Remember that physicians must deal with overwhelming amounts of stress. Consider what behavior is appropriate when one has to deal with the following:

  • Frustration over what is perceived as administration's failure to address chronic understaffing, which jeopardizes patient care
  • Important tests that are not performed due to a scheduling error
  • The feeling that a nurse has been incompetent or has placed his or her patient at significant risk
  • Being called at 2 a.m. with the report of a normal laboratory result that was available at 9 p.m.

Editor's note: The above excerpt is from the online course "Disruptive Physician Behavior: Techniques for Managing and Preventing." For more information on this and other courses in our library, go to www.hcprofessor.com.

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