Description

In this episode of Disruptors at Work, we’ll be talking about toxic healthcare environments, and connecting these to the mass resignation in healthcare today which has brought national attention to the staffing crises our hospitals and community practices are now facing. What often happens in healthcare is that the providers shoulder all of the blame, and the public believes that doctors and nurses should be perfect. The same toxic beliefs underlie the mass resignation in K-12 education today. The sacrificial lambs of our society: healthcare workers, educators, and mothers, have taken note of society’s unwillingness to do what we can to support them so they can keep supporting us. The mass resignation isn’t a surprise to any educator, healthcare worker, or mother I’ve spoken to since 2020. Sadly, though, healthcare executives, leaders, and managers are often poorly trained in identifying toxic workplace behaviors and cultural practices and in adequately holding toxic employees accountable. Today we’ll talk about how toxic behavior at any company yields bad results, but having it on the hospital floor can have serious consequences.

Original air date:  April 28, 2022

Presenter(s)

Pauline Pablo, MA, BCBA, IBA, DBH-C

Pauline Tolentino Pablo, MA, BCBA, IBA, DBH-C is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and International Behavior Analyst who specializes in providing Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services to individuals diagnosed with developmental disabilities and/or developmental delays. Pauline co-founded Symphony Behavioral Health Inc., a clinician owned ABA practice alongside her husband who is a nurse consultant. You may find them at www.symphonybh.com.

Pauline is also the co-founder of Asian & Pacific Islander Association for Behavior Analysis www.apiaba.org. This group aims to disseminate the science of ABA within the Asian and Pacific Islander population, as well as promote diversity within the field to better serve diverse clients.

Ellen Fink-Samnick, MSW, ACSW, LCSW, CCM, CCPT, CRP, DBH-C

Ellen Fink-Samnick, MSW, ACSW, LCSW, CCM, CCPT, CRP, DBH-C serves as a national expert on SDoH, currently serve as the chair of the annual RISE Summit on Social Determinants of Health.  Ellen’s experience with occupational trauma dates to her first job as a social worker in East New York in the mid-1980s at the cusp of AIDS and HIV.  Ellen’s company, EFS Supervision Strategies, LLC, offers organizational training, mentoring, and consultation services to empower the interprofessional workforce.  Ellen is a prolific writer, a sought-after speaker for national conferences, and is the recipient of numerous awards, including the National Award of Service Excellence (2016) from the Case Management Society of America (CMSA).  LinkedIn: Ellen’s Ethical Lens; Twitter:@epflcswccm; Blog: Ellen’s Ethical Lens

Links and Resources:

Pablo, P. (2021). What my experience taught me about psychological safety. Blog post: https://www.symphonybh.com/post/psychological-safety

Fink-Samnick E. (2015). The new age of bullying and violence in health care: the interprofessional impact. Professional case management, 20(4), 165–176. https://doi.org/10.1097/NCM.0000000000000099

Learning Objectives 

1. Define workplace toxicity and bullying, and give some examples of these in healthcare environments.  
2. Identify how workplace toxicity can cause PTSD, and what symptoms to watch out for.
3. Determine how healthcare leaders can address toxicity as a culture.