Scalpel's Edge

A surgeon's notes

Surgical manners

donkey.jpg

One of the surgeons I work for has a typical surgeon’s manner. It’s a bit uncommon, now, especially with young fellows. I imagine there used to be a deal made between the surgeon and their society – you revere me and I will allow the hospital and my patients to use up my life. The deal has changed, so the behaviour has, too.

This boss seems to have little empathy for staff. I’m not sure if it is true, as he is really a nice guy, but he certainly gives that impression. You know how some people think that they know how things are meant to work, so get shocked when other people don’t? Like that. I don’t know how he deals with patients, as I never see him outside theatre.

I wanted to share the one thing he has taught me recently. We had a complicated case, and there were a few technical difficulties with the video equipment. Then his favoured instruments weren’t available. Then the staff started to get cranky at him, and the tension started to rise. And this was a complicated case, in a spare theatre, with fill-in staff.

So I learnt that attitude is one of the most important surgical skills. My surgeon expected the best of everyone in difficult circumstances, and got disappointed. Our plan should not be to expect the best and get disappointed. We need to expect the worst and enjoy the relief when people step up.

The other important skill is to plan for hassle-free work. Surgeons are the master of their workplace to some degree, and can manipulate what operations get performed in what situation, especially for elective cases. Especially in the times we expect everyone around us to let us down, we need to keep a margin of safety. Save your regular list, with familiar staff, for tough cases. No one has the right to get miffed if they have planned poorly. Be on time, have a familiar anaesthetist, be honest about the length of the list.

I know this sounds basic, but I have to write it down, because it just keeps bouncing around in my head. A tense workplace with standoffs between staff is unsafe. It’s a long career. Being a donkey at the beginning of a career doesn’t win points.

Image: malia (Flickr)

One response to “Surgical manners”

  1. William Osler has said it all before:
    “One of the first essentials in securing a good-natured equanimity is not to expect too much of the people amongst whom you dwell…”

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