'I'm Not Calling Him!': Disruptive Physician Behavior in the Acute Care Setting

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Communication
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Disruptive physician behavior poses a significant challenge in healthcare environments.
• Effective communication between nurses and physicians is vital for quality patient care.
• Previous research has highlighted the negative effects of disruptive behavior on healthcare teams.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the lived experiences of acute care nurses encountering disruptive physician behavior.
• To understand the impact of such behavior on nurse-physician communication.
• To identify strategies for improving communication and patient advocacy.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study design.
• In-depth interviews with 15 acute care nurses.
• Thematic analysis of interview data.

Main Results:

• Nurses reported significant negative impacts on communication due to disruptive physician behavior.
• Key themes included compromised patient safety, decreased collaboration, and emotional distress for nurses.
• Nurses expressed a need for better communication training and support systems.

Conclusions:

• Disruptive physician behavior critically undermines effective nurse-physician communication.
• Educators and leaders must prioritize training nurses in communication and patient advocacy.
• Interventions are needed to mitigate the effects of disruptive behavior and foster a more collaborative environment.