Bedside Manners has been presented at top healthcare institutions, including:
- The Institute for Healthcare Improvement
- National Patient Safety Congress 2013 Opening Plenary
- Children's Hospital of Wisconsin
- University of Toronto Centre for Inter Professional Education
- The New York Academy of Medicine
- Cedars Sinai Medical Center
- Cambridge Health Alliance
- Colorado Hospital Association CEO Forum
- Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
- University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
- Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin
- Yuma, Colorado Hospital and Clinics
- John C. Lincoln Health Network
- …and many other healthcare organizations.
Bedside Manners is a play and workbook designed to improve effective communication between healthcare professionals. Past participants have reported that its use enhances on-going efforts to reduce medical errors and injuries and helps to improve teamwork and workplace civility. This has resulted in improved patient safety and care.
The play is performed as reader's theater, which means the actors do not memorize their lines but read from the script.
Topical, real-life healthcare scenarios are played out in 21 scenes that run for approximately two to five minutes. Each vignette covers topics ranging from routine daily interactions, to the breakdown of communication between team members in high stress scenarios. They also include examples of excellent teamwork and communication.
Every situation portrayed in the play is based on actual events that highlight both successful and frustratingly poor communication practices.
The best way to perform the play is to recruit members of your facility, students, or participants at a conference to act in the play. Using a combination of professional actors and staff, students, or participants is also an excellent way to present the play. The play can be presented between a half hour and sixty minutes. It is useful to follow up with a discussion or workshop, using the powerpoint provided in the teaching package or suggestions and exercises in the Bedside Manners workbook. The teaching package also contains extra scenes that include many different healthcare professionals.
When performed by professional actors, only 3 to 4 are needed. The play can also be cast with members of your staff. Using a combination of professional actors and staff is the best way to present the play. The play can be presented in less than 60 minutes.
Each character expresses the point of view and experiences of healthcare staff. Although the play focuses on the interaction between doctors and nurses, it can be adapted to incorporate the experiences of other healthcare professionals and staff.
Because all sides of communication issues are portrayed, audience members feel "their side" of the story has been expressed. This not only engages the audience members, but gives them the tools to help resolve complex workplace problems, resulting in improved team work, patient safely and job satisfaction.
The play is available as a script with accompanying workbook for performance and discussion and/or as a DVD for viewing, or for use in teaching teamwork, interprofessional education and practice, about patient safety and enhancing the patient experience.
Choose the Option that Works for Your Team:
For Viewing
For those interested in seeing a performance of Bedside Manners it is available on a DVD or download from Vimeo. View pricing 
For Use as a Teaching Tool
For those interested in using Bedside Manners as a teaching tool, the script and its companion workbook with suggested questions, re-scripting of scenes, and readings is available. A total teaching package includes the script and workbook, a DVD of the performance with an introduction by Lucian L. Leape, MD as well as teaching scenarios and interviews with the authors. An accompanying CD contains extra scenes and a power point introducing critical teamwork concepts. View pricing
Performance
Bedside Manners can be licensed for performance in an institution, school or conference. The license for the performance includes the teaching package described above. The performance of Bedside Manners can be followed by a half hour discussion in which the actors, playwrights and director talk with the audience about the situations portrayed and how they contribute or detract from a collaborative environment for patient care. View pricing
Performance and Facilitated Discussion or Post-Performance Workshop
The performance of Bedside Manners can be licensed as described above and followed by a workshop or discussion facilitated by Suzanne Gordon or one of the members of our Bedside Manners team. View pricing
Customize the Play to Your Unique Healthcare Challenges
Upon request, the roles portrayed in Bedside Manners can be customized to address your unique healthcare environment. Please contact us at sg@suzannegordon.com