In medicine we rely on teams.
good teams require civility
Incivility between medical professionals is damaging.
Rudeness impacts the recipient in ways far greater than making them upset; it disrupts their ability to work in a team, it alters their willingness to help others, it reduces their clinical ability.
The impact is like a ripple in a pond; other team members are directly affected, and their function in the team also decreases, along with their clinical performance.
A poorly functioning team does not make good clinical decisions, they make more errors, and the errors impact the patient. Errors lead to deaths.
Therefore, being civil can save lives!