This component of our civility efforts is designed to be an interactive skills-based education workshop designed to provide faculty, staff and trainees a framework on how to respond to difficult scenarios that reflect disrespect and discrimination. Participants are taught the skills needed to step in (be an “upstander”) in the moment, with a particular focus on race-, ethnicity- and gender-based incidents. Participation in the Stepping In 4 Respect workshops is part of an IRB-approved prospective quality improvement study to assess change in attitudes and behaviors toward discrimination and harassment in the work and learning environment.
For more information about scheduling a workshop, please contact Pamela Williams.
The B.E.G.I.N Framework
The BEGIN framework was developed to help individuals navigate the human interpersonal dynamics that can occur with negative interactions. This framework is designed to keep interactions constructive, respectful, and friendly, which leads to more productive interactions. When you witness or are the subject of bias or harassment, the BEGIN framework can be used as a guide on how to respond.
B is for take a Breath. Prepare yourself for the interaction. Just like we have been trained to stop and take a breath, or take our own pulse in a code situation, the purpose of the breath is to calm yourself and consider your choices for responding. It is also important when you take this breath that you remind yourself to suspend judgment. Doing so keeps you on the friendly side of the circle, and allows you to go into the conversation with openness and curiosity, which gives the best chance for a good outcome. As part of the preparation, you may need to think about things like who will be in the room during the conversation.
E is for Empathy. Start with empathic statements like, “it must be tough being in the hospital." If the interaction was between two team members, statements like, “I can imagine it’s been pretty tough for you lately with all the stress you’ve been under,” would work.
G is for Goals. This is where you have a chance to state your goals and values clearly by saying something like, “here at Duke, we work as a team to take care of you, and each member of the team has an important role. We treat each other and our patients with respect, and we ask the same of you.” This statement can also work with team members too since it points out how we work together as team.
I is for Inquire. Ask questions like, “can you help me understand why you said that?” or “are there questions I can answer?”
N reminds us to Engage toward the common goal. This is the wrap up. Use statements like, “now let’s get on with the business of taking care of you.” For team members ask a question like, “how can we make sure this doesn’t happen again?”