Abstract
This paper examines the challenges involved in commanding a field hospital. There are frequent, dynamic tensions between the military culture that is based on a task-focussed, hierarchical structure and the clinical culture that is based on flat, process-focussed, multidisciplinary teams. The paper outlines the cultural environment of the field hospital and then examines the deployment sequence whereby a functioning clinical facility may be created from a group of disparate individuals. There are a number of tools that may assist with this including the personality of the Commanding Officer, individual skills, the creation of an organizational identity and the choice of command structure.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 33-7 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Journal of the Royal Army Medical Corps |
| Volume | 149 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| Publication status | Published - Mar 2003 |
Keywords
- Hospitals, Military/organization & administration
- Mobile Health Units/organization & administration
- Organizational Culture
- United Kingdom