58 | SEPTEMBER 2019 FLYINGMAG.COMAIR
LIFE
IN THE LEADING EDGEBEDSIDE MANNER
“KNOW THYSELF”By Ben YoungerT
his passage was written by
Linda Finch, a registered nurse
and associate professor at the
University of Memphis, in her paper
on the effects of bedside manner in
healthcare. Not surprisingly, it has a
significant inf luence.
The way we communicate with one
another can provide real benefits. But
it works both ways: Style of commu-
nication can also mask or disfigure
the substance of what we are trying
to say. In other words, the content of
what we say matters, but it matters
equally how we say it.Bedside manner is just as import-
ant in aviation. We pilots interact
with everyone from air traffic con-
trollers to mechanics to flight instruc-
tors. Their “bedside manner” has
far-reaching implications on our
safety of flight. At face value, a simple
conversation or interaction may not
seem to hold that kind of weight, but
you’d be wrong to assume that. In fact,
it’s the most insidious kind of safety
issue because we don’t know the mis-
take is being made. Someone’s bedside
manner may lead us to trust when we
shouldn’t. It can create an atmospherewhere one is hesitant to respond
appropriately, ultimately leading a
pilot down the wrong path.
Bedside manner as a term conjures
the image of a doctor tending to a
patient, but all types of professions are
deeply affected by style of communi-
cation. I just returned from directing
a TV show in Los Angeles. On my first
day, we shot in a crowded hotel lobby.
One of the crewmembers did not know
I was the director and snapped at
me when I asked him about a camera
mount on the crane he was operating.
Not wanting more of the same, I com-
municated in a very different manner
with him the next time we spoke: I was
brief, bordering on incomplete in my
direction. As a result, my instructions
were misunderstood, the shot wasted.
Frustrated, I called, “Cut,” pulled him
aside and properly introduced myself.
We started over and had a great work-
ing relationship for the duration of the
shoot. His biting initial reaction, how-
ever, changed the way I normally com-
municate—and not for the better.
A good bedside manner doesn’t
necessarily imply niceties. With an
established relationship, clarity and
frankness can be enough. Bob Ripley,
my mechanic down in Georgia, is the
single most succinct human being
that I know. The man makes Class
B ATC transmissions seem verbose.
Before I call Bob, I have all my ducks
in a row. I know exactly what I’m
going to ask him, and I have all the
pertinent information at the ready in
case there are follow-up queries. I am
prepared for the brevity—I’ve come
to admire it. As an A&P mechanic,
Bob’s excellence in his work is far
more important than any hand-hold-
ing I might desire through the main-
tenance process. I don’t need him to
change his manner for me. Instead,
I change my approach and expec-
tations, safe in the knowledge that
his work is the finest done on my
airplane.
I have interacted with other
mechanics that made me feel warm
and fuzzy but whose work left some-
thing to be desired. I may have felt
heard when we spoke, but the work
was subpar and required additional“ Care that is patient-centered and includes the positive
attributes of bedside manner has been shown to improve
recovery from illness, revealing a link between provider
behavior and effective disease management.”