Face-to-Face Meeting
There are two proven methods to successfully deal with disruptive behavior: 1) React to it immediately, and 2) follow up to ensure it doesn’t happen again. When you receive a complaint about a disruptive hospitalist, gather all the information you can on the incident and schedule a meeting to discuss it with the party accused of poor behavior.
“The first occurrence should result in an informal conversation. ‘You stepped over the line here, and we have to make sure it doesn’t happen again,’ ” Dr. Keogh says. He recommends that a human resources staffer be present at this meeting, and supervisors should come prepared with documentation.
“You have to sit them down and go over a written document—don’t just talk about word-of-mouth. Go over the documented occurrence of the behavior,” Dr. Keogh explains. “Talk through what they did, and let them know that you both have to find a way to ensure that it doesn’t happen again. They’ll rationalize their behavior at first, but make sure they understand that it’s unacceptable.”
In the case of an allegation or a one-on-one dispute, Dr. Gottesman advises you “clarify both sides before taking any action. I hear both sides of the story, then we find some common ground and work toward a solution.” In his experience, he says, “by and large, most physicians tend to be responsive when spoken to in a constructive, positive fashion. Let them know that you’re here to support them, not prosecute them. You need to maintain a professional demeanor.”
Dr. Keogh says oftentimes the first disciplinary meeting will be enough to end the disruptive behavior. If the same individual has another incident, schedule a second meeting and emphasize the seriousness of the infraction and disciplinary measures. You might want to have a senior manager, such as your chief medical officer, join the discussion. Officially document the problem and identify the consequences if the employee is disruptive again.
Followup Is Key
Another key to quashing disruptive behavior is doing your part to ensure it doesn’t happen again. “The problem is that the impact is residual on the people around that individual, whether it’s the nurses or patients,” Dr. Keogh says. “The results are avoidance and silence.”
Supervisors should follow up on the disruptive behavior by placing themselves in the problem employee’s way; doing so will let you see how they work and how others react to them, and it will show that you’re keeping an eye on them. “The [manager] has to show ongoing oversight of that individual, with occasional walks in the [hospital halls] and ongoing verbal encouragement, to show that someone is paying attention,” Dr. Keogh says. “They can fall back into bad behaviors if they think no one is watching.” Positive recognition of good behavior and outcomes (i.e., improved patient satisfaction) also helps reinforce your followup.