Hvordan kan jeg som ledende overlæge arbejde med psykologisk tryghed som en del af min HRM-relaterede ledelsespraksis i en akutafdeling, og hvilken betydning har det for medarbejdertrivsel, læring og håndtering af kritiske situationer?

How can I, as a leading consultant physician, work with psychological safety as part of my HRM-related leadership practice in an emergency department, and what significance does this have for employee well-being, learning, and the handling of critical situations?

Kokanovic, Predrag

1. semester

Master i Offentlig Ledelse (MPG) (Efter- og videreuddannelse)

2026

2026-05-22

Denne opgave undersøger, hvordan psykologisk tryghed kan integreres i den ledelsespraksis, som en ledende overlæge udøver i en akutafdeling, og hvilken betydning det har for medarbejdertrivsel, læring og håndtering af kritiske situationer. Med udgangspunkt i teorier om psykologisk tryghed, psykosocialt arbejdsmiljø og trivsel, særligt Edmondsons forståelse af psykologisk tryghed som villigheden til at tage interpersonelle risici, analyseres en konkret hændelse, hvor en yngre KBU-læge undlod at informere om en potentiel kritisk patientsituation af frygt for at fremstå inkompetent. Metodisk anvendes en auto-etnografisk tilgang, hvor den ledende overlæge reflekterer over egne erfaringer, observationer og handlinger i den specifikke organisatoriske kontekst. Casen belyser, hvordan tidspres, hierarkier, organisatoriske rammer og lederens tilgængelighed og reaktioner påvirker medarbejderes oplevelse af, om det er sikkert at søge hjælp og dele usikkerhed. Opgaven peger på, at arbejdet med psykologisk tryghed både handler om relations- og kulturarbejde i hverdagen og om tydelige organisatoriske rammer for eskalering, og at dette kan understøtte både patientsikkerhed, medarbejdertrivsel og læring, særligt for mindre erfarne medarbejdere. Da analysen bygger på én praksisnær case, kan resultaterne ikke generaliseres, men de giver et nuanceret grundlag for kritisk refleksion over ledelsespraksis i akutafdelinger.

This thesis explores how a chief physician can integrate psychological safety into HRM-related leadership practice in an emergency department, and how this affects staff well-being, learning, and the handling of critical situations. Drawing on theories of psychological safety, psychosocial work environment and well-being, in particular Edmondson’s concept of psychological safety as the willingness to take interpersonal risks, the author analyses a concrete incident where a junior physician (KBU doctor) delayed reporting a potentially critical patient situation because he did not want to appear incompetent. Methodologically, the study uses an auto-ethnographic approach in which the chief physician reflects on his own experiences, observations and actions within a specific organizational context. The case illustrates how time pressure, hierarchy, organizational structures and the leader’s availability and reactions shape employees’ sense of whether it is safe to seek help and express uncertainty. The thesis argues that promoting psychological safety involves both everyday relational and cultural work and clear organizational frameworks for escalation, which together can support patient safety, staff well-being and learning, especially for less experienced employees. As the analysis is based on a single practice-based case, the findings are not generalizable, but they provide a nuanced basis for critical reflection on leadership practice in emergency departments.

[Dette resumé er genereret med hjælp fra AI direkte fra projektet fuldtekst]

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Kokanovic, Predrag:

• How can a retrospective analysis of a specific management situation in the emergency department help me understand challenges in the collaboration between myself and the staff when interpreted from the perspectives of critical reflexivity, relational leadership, third-generation coaching, resonance and alienation, and narrative organizational development? (2025)