Why Civility Saves Lives
Dr Chris Turner is a consultant in emergency medicine, based in the University Hospitals of Coventry and Warwickshire. He speaks internationally on the subject of civility and has two TEDx talks.
Chris opened with an anecdote from the operating theatre, illustrating the power of how we talk to one another and the impact it can have. The story centred on the negative way a consultant spoke to a registrar, and the major impact that had on them. How the more junior doctor felt and how, in turn, that could impact on the patient they were caring for at the time.
Out of this experience came the grassroots campaign Civility Saves Lives.
He explained how we all work in complicated and complex environments with a lot going on; with a lot of, sometimes conflicting, factors to balance and consider. This can create tension, with finite resource being pulled in different directions.
He went on to emphasise that how we resolve this conflict and tension is vital… it comes down to curiosity and not judgement. Because by choosing to behave in ways that value and respect the people around us, we give them a chance of hitting their personal peak.
Chris concluded his powerful presentation with the following:
“If we let them hit their personal peak and then they work in teams who are talking to each other and sharing information and feeling valued and respected as a team, then those teams get the best outcomes.
“And that leads to the best outcomes for patients, but actually also for staff and even for organisations. Or in other words, civility saves lives.”
May, 30 2024