News Archives: Kinesiology and Health Sciences Instructor Receives Innovation Award
Friday, December 8th, 2023
Dr. Alexander Villafranca
Kinesiology and Health Sciences Instructor Dr. Alexander Villafranca is one of two NWP faculty members to receive the Fall 2023 Faculty Innovation Fund Award.
Initiated by The Office of Applied Research and Innovation, the Award provides recipients with seed funding to help scaffold larger research projects, moving from concept to project.
With the help of healthcare professionals, Dr. Villafranca's work investigates the effect of institutional culture and personality on responses to disruptive intraoperative behaviour. Continue reading to find out more about his exciting work.
The Effect of Institutional Culture and Personality on Responses to Disruptive Intraoperative Behaviour.
- Primary investigator: Alexander Villafranca, PhD
- Co-investigators: Alison Forest, RN, MN and Sherry Willett, RN, MScN
Imagine you're in an operating room where the stakes are high, and every action is time-sensitive. Unfortunately, disruptive behaviours, ranging from simple rudeness to serious abuse, are common in such high-stress environments. These behaviours can harm doctors, nurses, patients, and can even interfere with the overall functioning of hospitals. How victims and witnesses react to these incidents can either make the situation worse or improve it. Our study aims to understand how the work environment and the personalities of medical staff affect their reactions to such disruptive behaviour. We're also looking at how often these incidents occur now compared to ten years ago. The ultimate goal is to understand why these behaviors happen and find effective ways to stop them, so that operating rooms become safer and healthier places for everyone.
