Several years ago, we did a research study on the impact of interpersonal drama in healthcare. And the takeaway is probably no surprise to you—drama in healthcare isn’t just reserved for nighttime television. Most caregiver teams experience predictable and toxic levels of drama in the form of slackers, timid supervisors, toxic peers, arrogant doctors, you name it.
We surveyed 1,200 physicians, nurses, and staff and found five interpersonal issues that are particularly pervasive and destructive: poor initiative, difficult peers, failure to hold others accountable, unresponsive physicians, and managers who play favorites. Let’s zone in on difficult peers.