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Whistleblowing Need not Occur if Internal Voices Are Heard: From Deaf Effect to Hearer Courage; Comment on “Cultures of Silence and Cultures of Voice: The Role of Whistleblowing in Healthcare Organisations”

Article 10, Volume 5, Issue 1, January 2016, Page 59-61  XML PDF (360 K)
Document Type: Commentary
DOI: 10.15171/ijhpm.2015.177
Authors
Sonja R. Cleary ; Kerrie E. Doyle
Discipline of Nursing, School of Health Science, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Abstract
Whistleblowing by health professionals is an infrequent and extraordinary event and need not occur if internal voices are heard. Mannion and Davies’ editorial on “Cultures of Silence and Cultures of Voice: The Role of Whistleblowing in Healthcare Organisations” asks the question whether whistleblowing ameliorates or exacerbates the ‘deaf effect’ prevalent in healthcare organisations. This commentary argues that the focus should remain on internal processes and hearer courage.
Keywords
Whistleblowing; Whistleblowers; Internal Reporting; Deaf Effect; Hearer Courage
Main Subjects
Clinical Governance
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