The negative impact of nurse-physician disruptive behavior on patient safety: a review of the literature.
OBJECTIVE
To review what is known about the impact of nurse-physician disruptive behavior on patient safety to inform appropriate intervention programs to address this health care problem.


METHODS
A systematic review of the literature using the key words "disruptive physician behavior" and "physician verbal abuse" was conducted.


RESULTS
Ten articles were reviewed. All were descriptive in nature and used a nonexperimental approach to measure the incidence of disruptive behavior and/or verbal abuse in various health care settings via self-report surveys. All studies confirmed the alarming prevalence of disruptive behavior.


CONCLUSIONS
A standard definition of "disruptive behavior" is needed, as is a valid and reliable measure of the phenomenon before interventions to address the problem can be developed.
Saxton
Rebecca
R
University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Nursing, Kansas City, Missouri 64108, USA. rajr29@umkc.edu
Hines
Tina
T
Enriquez
Maithe
M
D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D019300:Medical Errors; D019555:Physician-Nurse Relations; D028743:Professional Misconduct; D017751:Safety Management