Doctors Need More Emotional Intelligence in New Healthcare System

DOCTORS IN NEED OF EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AS PREVENTABLE DEATHS INCREASE, AND MEDICINE BECOMES A TEAM SPORT.
So says an article in the NY Times entitled, "New for Aspiring Doctors, the People Skills Test," By GARDINER HARRIS

Here are some quotes from the article:

Doctors save lives, but they can sometimes be insufferable know-it-alls who bully nurses and do not listen to patients. Medical schools have traditionally done little to screen out such flawed applicants or to train them to behave better, but that is changing.

and

A pleasant bedside manner and an attentive ear have always been desirable traits in doctors, of course, but two trends have led school administrators to make the hunt for these qualities a priority. The first is a growing catalog of studies that pin the blame for an appalling share of preventable deaths on poor communication among doctors, patients and nurses that often results because some doctors, while technically competent, are socially inept.

and

“When I entered medical school, it was all about being an individual expert,” said Dr. Darrell G. Kirch, the president and chief executive of the Association of American Medical Colleges. “Now it’s all about applying that expertise to team-based patient care.”

To read the entire article, go here.

Is a Disruptive Doctor making your Work Environment Hell?

I hate to say it, but ...




No, the person I was talking to today did! She's a counselor, and when I told her "5 minutes of anger suppresses your immune system for up to 8 hours", she said she'd never heard that.

That's the "thing" I use to convince the people who get off on being angry, and are such a source of stress to other people. They're ruining their own health too, of course, but they aren't aware of that.

My EQ program is full of empirical (researched) data that is impossible to refute, and will convince the most cynical person. Um, I have worked with disruptive doctors, annoying lawyers, meddlesome daughters-in-law ... teachers who think they know it all. These people who can't manage their anger and really don't want to, can make life hell for the rest of us.

I also offer the highly-acclaimed DIFFICULT PEOPLE course. It might be just the thing for you.

Email me for more information. sdunn@susandunn.cc
I work internationally by phone and email, and my core courses are on the Internet. I also have offices in Manassas, VA and Chevy Chase MD for your convenience.