Project Details
About the Project
There is growing recognition of the value of a positive work culture. Noticing the challenges created during and after COVID, Dr. Al Hayashi and Dr. Sara Waters wanted to find creative ways to engage with their OR colleagues, not only to build relationships and support resilience but also to share and discuss relevant developments and discoveries from human psychology, organizational theory, happiness, medicine, and business science.
To do this, they organized a series of dinner meetings that included operating room nurses, surgeons, anesthesiologists, surgical assists, and key members of the operating room staff such as Physician Assistants and Respiratory Therapists. Their first dinner focused on a paper by Adam Grant that discussed the idea of moving away from “languishing” after the pandemic. The response from the group was overwhelmingly positive, and spurred attendance at a subsequent engagement dinner.
Evaluating the success of this initiative, the project leads shared a short exit survey for participants. 100% of those in attendance indicated they had learned something new, that the event allowed them to connect with colleagues from different disciplines, and that they would attend similar events in the future. Many shared that the events had boosted their sense of personal and professional satisfaction, and that they valued the opportunity to connect with co-workers. Reflecting on her own participation, Dr. Waters shared, “It felt like a good compliment to acquire knowledge alongside getting to know each other better and connecting as colleagues”.
The team has used these data to inform their spin-off project focused on holding morning huddles with the OR team, set to begin in late-2024.