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E
ven when on-the-job temper tantrums and
other bad behaviors aren't part of the equa-
tion, there is a big divide between surgeons
and OR nurses. This conflict of culture can affect
your facility's staff retention and morale, but more
importantly, it can put your patients' safety and out-
comes at risk. Are your surgeons and nurses work-
ing together, or are they miles apart? Kathleen
Bartholomew, RN, MN, came to nursing from the
sociology field, which gave her a unique perspective
on the power dynamics of the OR. In her special OR
Excellence morning workshop, "Doctor-Nurse
Relationships: How to Make Them Great," the for-
mer nurse manager and national speaker on nursing-
related workplace issues will show you how to
bridge the gap.
• The danger of inequality. As long as doctors and nurs-
es are not equal and not collegial in the OR, patients
will not be safe. Think about airline pilots and co-
pilots. Until about 38 years ago, co-pilots were not
allowed to speak up if something was wrong. What
changed the culture of the cockpit was an accident
Doctor-Nurse Relationships:
How to Make Them Great
Learn how to bridge the physician-nurse
gap in this special morning workshop.
Speaker Profile
• Managed the 57-bed surgical
unit at Swedish Medical Center in
Seattle, Wash.
• Before nursing, she worked in
marketing, business and teaching.
• Her books include "Charting the
Course: Launching Patient-Centric
Healthcare" (with John J. Nance,
JD), "Ending Nurse-to-Nurse
Hostility: Why Nurses Eat Their
Young and Each Other" and
"Speak Your Truth: Proven
Strategies for Effective Nurse-
Physician Communication."
Kathleen Bartholomew, RN, MN
SPECIAL
ORX
MORNING
WORKSHOP
C