Introduction
In this presentation, the case is based on an incident report that is sent to a hospital administrator by one of the doctors. The employees of Suburban Medical Center witness a situation when one doctor (Dr. Singh) complains that another doctor (Dr. Shaw) hit him with a stack of papers on his head. Dr. Singh is not satisfied with Dr. Shaw’s behavior and wants to address a local police office to file assault and battery charges. Therefore, the administrator must analyze the situation, study its background, gather the staff’s opinions, and define a theoretical concept to provide a clear, evidence-based solution.
Background
To clarify the development of the events, the opinions and observations of the three parties have to be used. On the one hand, there are the words of Dr. Shaw, who, according to the plaintiff, caused physical damage. Dr. Shaw stated that Dr. Singh asked for time off, and he had to schedule their working hours to make up the difference. Besides, he had to deal with the requests of other surgeons in the medical center. According to Dr. Singh, he was treated unfairly by Dr. Shaw. During their communication, Dr. Shaw used a pack of papers to hit him, which provoked severe pain, headaches, and ringing in the ears. However, other doctors (outside the conflict) said that both participants used expletives, and when Dr. Shaw wanted to go away, Dr. Singh obstructed the exit, which resulted in light tapping on the head.
Assessment
The assessment shows that the situation is not as terrible and dramatic as it could be. The report of the emergency room contains the following information. The patient addresses the department with subjective complaints of headaches, dizziness, and ringing in the ears after he was hit on his head by another doctor. No evident physical damage or wounds (corroborating physical evidence) are observed. Therefore, a justified decision to send the patient home was made. The only shortage in this situation was the lack of information about the necessity to do computer tomography and check the condition of the brain.
Recommendation
During communication, it was discovered that Dr. Shaw has been working the whole night before the incident. As a result, an inappropriate reaction could be observed because of burnout. Therefore, it is recommended for the doctor to delegate his responsibilities and involve other employees in working (scheduling) processes. In addition, if the two doctors were able to communicate and discuss a situation in a free and clear way, all the details could be clarified. Therefore, communication between the staff has to be promoted in the medical center. Due to the lack of physical evidence and the staff’s testimony, no court trials could be legally supported in this case. To predict the development of similar events, new ideas on how to cooperate and develop trustful relationships are necessary.
Theoretical Concept
An understanding of workplace relationships is one of the integral aspects of hospital administrators. It is not enough to set the rules and make sure to follow the norms. There are many situations when employees cannot solve their problems or need additional assistance in cooperation and communication. Therefore, multiple theories and concepts are developed to promote organizational commitment and work engagement (Tohemer et al., 2017). Regarding the current case and the inability of the doctors to solve their concerns in private, they involve a hospital administrator to clarify their assault and battery charges. Hewett et al. (2017) recommend using attribution theories in human resource management to improve their perceptions. The chosen management theory is an appropriate concept to be implemented in an organization to increase the quality of work and stabilize human relationships.
Evidence-Based Solution
In this case, the solution that a hospital administrator could offer is based on hospital resources. Tohemer et al. (2017) say about the necessity to identify employee needs, motivate them, and achieve commitment. Therefore, the needs of both doctors have to be discussed, regardless of their expectations. Another step is to analyze the causes and outcomes of the doctors’ actions. Heider’s attribution theory shows that a distinction between actions is required regarding personal causes and the environment (Hewett et al., 2017). Dr. Shaw used a pack of papers to leave the place (an environmental factor), and Dr. Singh was consumed with discontent (personal factor). The solution is to organize meetings and events to stabilize employee cooperation and communication.
References
Hewett, R., Shantz, A., Mundy, J., & Alfes, K. (2017). Attribution theories in human resource management research: A review and research agenda. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 29(1), 87–126.
Tohemer, M., Alkrisat, M., & Alatrash, M. (2017). Views in hospital staff engagement: Theoretical application. Asian Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, 5(5), 1-7.