The Opposite of Noblesse Oblige
Nearly 98 percent of 13,000 doctors and nurses have witnessed bad behavior on the part of their colleagues. Examples: Doctors flinging surgical instruments at co-workers in a fit of anger. One doctor tried to stuff a nurse head-first into a trash container. Insults, accusations of incompetence and yelling were the most common complaints — often occurring in front of patients and their families.
(a) the environment is stressful, (b) the personnel are continually harassed by third-party payers and hospital administrators, (c) everyone is under constant threat of lawsuits, and (d) the patients are not the real customers anyway (the third-party payers are).
So I have some symphathy. At least it’s understandable.
I suppose this type of behavior occurs in all industries. It’s a little naive to assume medical personnel are somehow above petty bickering.
The health care system is beginning to sound like the Postal Service.