Tips for IM ward attendings – Chapter One – servant leadership

The best attending physicians, at least in my opinion, embody servant leadership.  Unfortunately, we all have had attending physicians do not understand or live this philosophy. A servant-leader focuses primarily on the growth and well-being of people and the communities to which they belong. While traditional leadership generally involves the accumulation and exercise of power by one at the “top of the pyramid,” servant leadership is different. The servant-leader shares power, puts the needs of others first and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible. While the concept seems simple, the execution requires hard work.  The servant attending physician understands that he/she serves both the patient and the learners.  Attending rounds should not focus on the attending physician’s needs but rather patient and learner needs. The patient always occupies center stage, whether we are physically present, discussing the patient in a conference room, or in the hallway, or afterwards when we ponder the patient’s diagnosis or treatment.  We, as attending physicians, should strive to respect the patient’s situation and their humanity.  While this sounds easy, some patients stretch our skills.  As role models, how we interact with and refer to patients will impact our learners.  Thus, we strive to approach each patient appropriately.  Of course, too often we fail.  Some patients anger us; some patients defy us; some patients disrupt the nursing station. ...
Source: DB's Medical Rants - Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Tags: Medical Rants Source Type: blogs