Comments on: Interruptions

By: pixelrn

pixelrn — Wed, 11 Jan 2006 13:50:42 +0000

I used to wait tables in a restaurant where during service the custom was to say “Chef, may I speak?” when you needed a question answered. Some servers found this to be demeaning but it worked quite well as a system. The chef acknowleged that you had a question and he was able to finish calling out food orders before he answered it. Otherwise there would have been total chaos.

By: Greg P

Greg P — Mon, 09 Jan 2006 00:25:00 +0000

There’s an analogous, related problem: talking to someone who keeps getting interrupted and allows it to happen. The worst are people who, of course, never shut off their cell phones, and feel compelled to answer them. I’ve had patients in the office interrupt my visit with them to answer their cell phone, with something like, “Hello. Honey, I’m busy right now, I’m at the doctor’s. No, I can’t come straight home right now, I’ve got some errands to do after this. Is your sister there? Put her on the phone. Kim, try to keep Melissa busy for a while, cause I’m at the doctor’s. Yes, I remember about your practice tonight. Well, I’m not sure what we’ll have for supper tonight…” (snip)

By: Kim

Kim — Sun, 08 Jan 2006 00:15:20 +0000

Point well taken. Definitely mea culpa…I never even realized this until I read this post. Thanks! And I bet the doctors I work with will thank you, too! : )

By: Darren

Darren — Sat, 07 Jan 2006 18:59:03 +0000

Great minds think alike. Most of the nurses I work with know that there are times that you should have the “sterile cockpit”. Talking to consultants, listening to dictations or talking with patients. Interruption at that point should only be for serious problems. The more you are interrupted the greater the risk for a mistake. The next time I am inappropriately interrupted I will refer them to your rant.

By: shadowfax

shadowfax — Fri, 06 Jan 2006 14:59:24 +0000

I recall a statistic that the average ER doc gets interrupted something like 20 times an hour. From my experience in the pit, I’d say that’s accurate. Our nurses are actually pretty polite on this front, though — I have to give them credit.

Though I should point out, for reference, that the Gettysburg address is two paragraphs long and takes about three minutes to read, so I don’t think it would be *too* unreasonable to ask someone to wait that long. Though why you’d be giving a war memorial speech in your ER, I can’t fathom.

By: medsleuth

medsleuth — Fri, 06 Jan 2006 13:58:14 +0000

This isn’t just a problem in the ED, but a problem more generally felt as good manners seem to be falling by the wayside on a much larger scale. In the medical context, it seems impossible these days to simply make a trip to the doctor’s office without at least three interruptions during the visit in the exam room, and that’s after having waited your turn for over an hour in the waiting room. Great rant. I’ve added mine.

By: jerry

jerry — Fri, 06 Jan 2006 13:24:55 +0000

Nice rant. I read a study somewhere years ago about the level of multitasking and interruptions that ER docs must perform and endure and it was off the charts compared to other professions.

How about the interruption of the interruption of the original task or conversation?? That occurs about 20 times a shift.