Contributed by Deborah L. Cox
CoMass Group Evolves
Deborah Cox, MBA, MSCM (Cohort XII), MT(ASCP) Principal CoMass Group LLC Calming Civility: Solutions for a Heathly Workplace www.comassgroup.com It’s no secret that incivility, from rude comments, to gossiping, to back-stabbing and bullying, is on the rise in society. There are many theories of why this is so. But as unbelievable as it sounds, for many years now the nursing profession has been plagued with a form of incivility known as “lateral violence” or “nurses eat their young.” Again, many theories abound regarding the root causes that trigger these behaviors – the hierarchal nature of healthcare where doctors hold the power, “rites of passage” initiations of new nurses that resemble the hazing system of fraternity life, the tremendous stress that comes with helping the sick, etc. But with new regulations and reimbursement policies demanding that Healthcare produce greater patient satisfaction, the industry is seeking ways to improve communication and conflict management skills that will lead to better patient care and outcomes. These problems had never entered my mind when I began working on my MSCM. Although I began my career as a Med Tech in Clinical Chemistry, I had been working in Finance and Corporate Communications in the Enterprise Software industry for the past 25 years. My various positions had all required building relationships and overcoming conflict between company executives and external stakeholders such as investors, industry analysts and the media. But life has surprises! Shortly after receiving my degree from KSU, I ran into my childhood best friend – from the fourth grade until our sophomore year in college we were pretty much inseparable. Then we went to different universities and life took us both in new directions. All of a sudden 40 years later we found that our interests, passions and career paths had merged. Turns out my friend, Dianne Jacobs – a nurse educator with a Masters in psychiatric nursing, received a federal grant while working with a health education agency and, as a result, had developed a program that trained nurses to address lateral violence. Her research into uncivil behaviors and conflict in nursing was extensive and the workshops she and her colleagues had created were powerful. When we first talked, Dianne had recently retired and the workshops were no longer being offered. We spent the summer and fall of 2012 meeting with people in healthcare to gather information about what kind of training and consulting business would best meet the current needs of the industry. The result of this research is CoMass Group LLC. The company’s mission is to help healthcare organizations create a culture of safety and respect that supports individual and organizational success. Because incivility can kill morale, trust, respect, teamwork and the best strategic initiatives, organizations that tolerate such disruptive behaviors between staff are vulnerable to serious patient error. Through CoMass Group’s programs, healthcare teams learn communication and conflict management skills to address incivility, disruptive behaviors and hidden conflicts that undermine quality care and strategic initiatives. Our programs provide skills and confidence needed when difficult situations arise between colleagues. I know - it is counter-intuitive to imagine that healthcare workers are anything but compassionate, caring professionals – and most are! But they are also human and work under incredible stress. Often they are simply not aware of the impact and costs of their actions. Dianne and I have come a long way since the fourth grade, but our shared interest in the broader world and our need to contribute to a better experience for those around us has not changed. We are excited and grateful to once again be learning, working and spending time together!