British journal of anaesthesia
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Effective communication within teams is crucial, especially in crisis situations. Hierarchy gradients between team members can contribute to communication failures and are influenced by many factors. The effect of gender on team performance has not been well studied. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of the physician's gender on respiratory therapists' ability to effectively challenge clearly incorrect clinical decisions during a life-threatening crisis. ⋯ The study showed a significant effect of superiors' gender on a respiratory therapist's ability to challenge leadership. A female staff anaesthetist was challenged more often and with greater assertiveness and effectiveness. This has implications for an educational intervention targeting the ability to challenge a wrong decision by a supervisor and emphasizing the effect of gender on the willingness to speak up.