EP 148: Why High-Performing Healthcare Teams Are Built on Competence, Not Familiarity

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Coffee Break: Breaking the Cycle of Bullying in Healthcare, One Cup at a Time 33 min 2 speakers 8 chapters transcribed 1 month ago

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What is the main focus of the episode on high‑performing perioperative teams?

Dr. Renée Thompson 0:02

Plants thrive and grow in a peaceful, nourished environment, right? Well, it's the same with human beings. But what if that environment is not so peaceful? What if it's toxic? Welcome to Coffee Break, breaking the cycle of bullying in healthcare, one cup at a time. In this podcast, you'll get practical evidence-based strategies to help you cultivate and sustain a healthy and respectful work culture by tackling an age-old problem in healthcare, bullying and incivility. I am your host, Dr. Renee Thompson.

Dr. Renée Thompson 0:46

Hi, everyone. Welcome back to another episode of the Coffee Break Podcast. Today, we get to chat with Dr. David Wyatt, CEO and Executive Director of the Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses, otherwise known as AORN. David, welcome to the show.

Dr. David Wyatt 1:05

Thank you very much. Great to be here, Renée.

Dr. Renée Thompson 1:07

Well, I'm excited to have a conversation with you because we do spend a lot of time in perioperative services, and I've been a huge fan of AORN. I just adore the work that you're doing there, and I know we're going to get into that However, I also want to share some other things about David that you might not know. You've truly had quite the career. I mean, you've been the CNO at university hospitals. You've had executive perioperative leadership positions at various organizations like Vanderbilt and St. Luke's Medical Center and the University of Kansas Hospital. You're a fellow with the American Academy of Nursing and a fellow of AORN. Like, oh, my gosh, that's several careers. And it seems like you traveled around the country for these, right?

Dr. David Wyatt 1:55

Yeah, a bit. Yes. Been in great places. Wow.

Dr. Renée Thompson 1:59

Yeah, some of these places are very well known and do amazing work. And I always like to look at when somebody lands in a position like you have at AORN and you're really influencing thousands and thousands of people, it's usually because of a collection of experiences that you've had along the way. And I can see with all of the different leadership roles that you've had, how it's brought you to the role that you have right now. However, something that I also find very fascinating about you is that you're a CrossFit athlete. So for those of you who don't know, some of you do, some of you don't. OK, what is CrossFit? Can you just kind of give us the skinny on that?

Dr. David Wyatt 2:40

Sure. It is a fitness methodology that focuses on functional movements. And so these are the things that are supposed to build your skills for real life. Now, I know a lot of people think of like moving and throwing tires and things like that. But it really is. I've been doing it for 13 years now. And so it's how I not only work on my physical fitness, but I would say it helps me mentally probably more than anything else to stay in the right space for how I engage with others.

Dr. Renée Thompson 3:15

All right. What's the difference between CrossFit and HIIT?

Dr. David Wyatt 3:20

They are very similar.

How does Dr. David Wyatt’s career background shape his view on team competence?

Dr. David Wyatt 3:23

So HIIT, the high intensity interval training, is a part of the CrossFit methodology. But CrossFit oftentimes has added in strength components. So we will use barbells, dumbbells. And so HIIT is very cardio intensive. And so they are combined together, but it's a part of it. So HIIT is more cardio if that's all you're doing then, but there's a strength component with CrossFit.

Dr. Renée Thompson 3:51

With CrossFit, okay. Because my husband and I started, I've been going to our local gym here for about five years. And only recently, my husband decided to join me, which is a big deal. I'm very excited about that. And we've been taking this HIIT class that they have every Saturday, at least when we're in town. David, it's scary to me, shocking that I, you know, I'll start doing some of the exercises and I can feel, you know, my heart rate is just regular. All of a sudden... my heart rate is like 150. Like how does it go from 70 to 150? And I feel like I'm going to die. So, you know, and I'm in good shape, you know, I exercise all the time, but it is a different level of training and fitness more so than like, I'll go to Zumba class.

Dr. Renée Thompson 4:39

My husband and I walk all the time, but honestly, I live in Florida. Everything is flat.

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Chapters

8 chapters

1 What is the main focus of the episode on high‑performing perioperative teams? 0:02–3:23 2 How does Dr. David Wyatt’s career background shape his view on team competence? 3:23–6:29 3 Why does Dr. Wyatt compare operating‑room teams to aviation crews? 6:29–11:34 4 What did Dr. Wyatt’s doctoral research reveal about familiarity vs. experience in OR teams? 11:34–15:08 5 How do competence, confidence, and evidence‑based tools improve patient outcomes? 15:08–19:54 6 What AORN resources (guidelines, toolkits, position statements) support safe, respectful perioperative environments? 19:54–24:21 7 How can healthcare leaders sustain a culture of civility and reduce bullying over time? 24:21–29:04 8 What practical steps can listeners take to connect with AORN and implement these strategies? 29:04–32:59

Speakers

2 identified

Dr. David Wyatt 20 min Dr. Renée Thompson 12 min

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Topics in this episode

Vanderbilt 1 CrossFit 2 Renee Thompson 2 HIIT 2 American Academy of Nursing 1 airline industry 2 AORN 4 Dr. David Wyatt 1 St. Luke's Medical Center 1 David Wyatt 8 Combating Bullying and Incivility Toolkit 1

Source

Recorded29 Jul 2026

Publisherfeeds.megaphone.fm

Transcriptspeaker-named · 100+ languages

Handlerec:19558906

Show notes

Strong teams are not built solely on familiarity; they are built on competence, confidence, and shared standards. In this episode, Dr. David Wyatt, CEO and Executive Director of the Association of Perioperative Registered Nurses (AORN), discusses what healthcare organizations can learn from high-performing perioperative teams and why overall team experience may have a greater impact on patient outcomes than simply having the same people work together repeatedly. Drawing on his doctoral research, he explains how evidence-based tools and effective collaboration, like those in aviation teams, enable clinicians to work safely even when they have never worked together before. David also explores the relationship between competence, confidence, trust, and workplace culture, emphasizing that organizations are responsible for providing the education, resources, and validation employees need to practice safely. He concludes by highlighting AORN’s evidence-based guidelines, workplace civility position statement, and Combating Bullying and Incivility Toolkit as practical resources for creating safer, more respectful healthcare environments. Tune in to learn how healthcare leaders can strengthen team performance, build professional confidence, and create safer, more respectful working environments! About Dr. David Wyatt: David Wyatt, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, CNOR, FAORN, FAAN, is the CEO and Executive Director of the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses. A perioperative nurse for more than 30 years, he has held senior clinical and operational leadership roles at UT Southwestern Medical Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center, and the University of Kansas Hospital. David is also a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at Arlington and previously served as President of AORN’s National Board of Directors. He holds a PhD in Nursing and Healthcare Systems, an MPH in Public Health, an MA in Human Development, a BSN, and a BA in Psychology. His honors include the Award for Excellence in Perioperative Nursing, D Magazine’s Excellence in Nursing recognition, and fellowships in both AORN and the American Academy of Nursing. What You’ll Learn In This Episode: Team performance in the operating room depends on every discipline understanding and valuing its role in patient care Overall experience and strong team-based systems may contribute more to patient outcomes than simply working with familiar colleagues Healthcare teams should be able to collaborate effectively, even when members have never worked together before Organizations must establish competence through education, evidence-based guidelines, skill validation, and adequate onboarding Confidence develops when professionals know they have demonstrated the skills required to practice safely. Weak systems for establishing competence can increase uncertainty, stress, incivility, and disruptive workplace behavior Creating a respectful culture requires sustained effort because workplace culture continually changes as new people join the organization. Links & Resources: Connect with and follow Dr. David Wyatt on LinkedIn or reach out via email. Follow AORN on LinkedIn and visit their website! Explore AORN’s Healthy Workforce Framework Check out the 33 Scripts Guide to Address Disruptive Behaviour here! Buy Renee Thompson’s book Enough! Eradicating Bullying & Incivility here! Grab a copy of Renee Thompson’s book Do No Harm Applies to Nurses Too! here. Learn more about the Eradicating Bullying & Incivility eLearning Program here! Have a question for Renee? Email us at [email protected] to have your leadership question featured in an upcoming Q&A episode! **Disclosure:** The host may be compensated for linking to other sites or for sales of products we link to. As an Amazon Associate, Coffee Break earns from qualifying purchases. Liked this episode? Rate, review, and share it with your colleagues. Your support helps us reach more healthcare leaders working to create better work environments.

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What is the main focus of the episode on high‑performing perioperative teams?

How does Dr. David Wyatt’s career background shape his view on team competence?

This is a preview of the transcript

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More from Coffee Break: Breaking the Cycle of Bullying in Healthcare, One Cup at a Time

How does Dr. David Wyatt’s career background shape his view on team competence?