Citing other studies, it said majority of healthcare workers have reported experiencing events characterised by incivility, such as rudeness, derision, insulting remarks, humiliation, or ignoring someone.
And this in turn, impacts employee well-being, according to the research, noting that it could lead to high staff turnover, low job satisfaction, as well as a drop in productivity.
“Teamwork is critical during surgery. When incivility contributes to poor communication in the operating theatre, worse outcomes can result,” Ostroff said in a statement.
Dr. Nicholas Wallwork, who participated in the study, said rudeness and bullying occur in operating theatres because the stakes are high.
“There are at least six people working as a team in a confined space, under time pressures and with risks involved. A high-functioning stable team delivers better performance, but due to numerous factors this is sometimes difficult to achieve,” Wallwork said in a statement.