Scarlett McNally: Considering the impact of human factors on teamworking and behaviour

The NHS needs every one of its 1.4 million staff,1 but nobody is perfect every day of their career. Human factors have a huge impact on staff and patients. After witnessing poor behaviour in the workplace, co-workers are less effective and patients have worse outcomes.2 An unpleasant working culture also reduces camaraderie in teams and can lead to resignations. This is a vicious cycle of overwork and burnout that the NHS can’t afford.High pressure situations can cause cognitive overload, as working memory has a finite capacity.34 Issues at home can reduce enthusiasm and affect staff differently: 42% of marriages end in divorce,5 17.6% of 6-16 year olds have a mental health disorder,6 and 7.1% of over 65s (who may be your co-worker’s parent) have dementia.7 The Ockenden review found that human factors contributed to 58% of adverse incidents in maternity care, recommending that all NHS staff learn about human factors…
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