Medical Resident Sense-making about Lawsuits: Metaphorical and Institutional Analyses

• In Event: Exploring Issues that Affect the Communication of Health Professionals

Abstract

This study examined accounts of medical residents regarding how they made sense of their feelings about medical malpractice lawsuits and communication strategies to deal with mistakes. The study uncovered four distinct ways residents discursively constructed lawsuits—as inevitable, as recourse, as result of unrealistic expectations, and as gamble--and the implications of each construction. The analysis suggested the important role of the resident-attending relationship and hierarchy in order to understand their sense making practices.

Authors

• Walter J Carl, Northeastern University

• Carey M. Noland, Northeastern University