Isabel Menzies

In this podcast, Isabel Menzies, an expert in social defenses against anxiety in organizational life, discusses contemporary sources of anxiety and the methods used to defend against it. Topics include the evolving nature of anxiety in the field of medicine, understanding and managing anxiety in organizations, exploring the relationship dynamics between doctors and nurses, shifting anxieties within the healthcare system, perpetuation of anxiety within organizations, rethinking the welcoming process for new members, and the constant movement and adaptation in organizations.

Isabel Menzies, a researcher who conducted a classic study on social systems as a defense against anxiety, discusses the odd methods a teaching hospital developed to protect nurses from anxiety. These methods violated nursing students' expectations and caused them to quit. The podcast explores the challenges in effectively training nursing students while using them as a resource in the hospital, the role of emotional labor and coping mechanisms, and the impact of detachment and empathy in healthcare.