Nurses and technicians have the right to be treated with respect, and they know it. The dysfunctional physician presents an insidious cost to any practice or health care organization. He or she increases the stress in the work environment and the accompanying loss of efficiency. In a stressful workplace, such as the operating room with a berating physician, morale and team spirit suffer, which results in an increased turnover of staff and a dysfunctional team. Once this stage is reached, various negative factors begin to interplay.
Communication is poor, and staff withhold information because of fear of an outburst.
The information withheld may be vital for patient well-being. The physician loses staff support and may become isolated. Once this dysfunctional behavior pattern is recognized, an intervention should be made. This action is necessary not only for patient safety but also because lack of action could be interpreted by the courts as negligent or as condoning a hostile work environment. If only one person is involved, the physician may view the intervention as a personal confrontation instead of a peer-related issue.