On the Anaesthetics team, you get the privilege of witnessing how different surgeons behave.

The variety is enormous. Some surgeons are friendly and approachable, cracking jokes and laughing with the team. They will thank everyone when the surgery is done and remember your name. Then there are others who rarely smile, look at you, let alone ask who you are. They might only address you when they need something.

What’s interesting is how teams respond to these different personalities. Teams with kind surgeons are more likely to proactively help out and with more enthusiasm. But teams with unkind surgeons are more likely to be more stressed, communicate less, and make mistakes. I have seen nurses drop things, anaesthetists fumble, and scrub techs questioning their movements. These surgeries often leave me feeling separated from the team and wishing the surgery was over sooner.

There are routinely discussions on how to improve surgical outcomes. Three-point ID checks, routine hand washing, checking allergies: these things are all important, but the question of personality is never raised. Maybe it’s time.