EP. 154: How to Build Stronger Perioperative Teams: Break Down Silos and Improve Workplace Culture

Strong perioperative teams are built when leaders make culture as important as clinical performance.

In this episode, Molly Kucera, Associate Director of the Ambulatory Care Surgery Center at University of Iowa Health Care, discusses how perioperative leaders can build stronger relationships among nurses, physicians, and support staff to foster a more collaborative workplace. She explains that addressing disruptive behavior through compassionate, face-to-face conversations helps preserve trust while encouraging accountability. Molly also highlights the importance of regular interdisciplinary meetings to identify concerns, strengthen team dynamics, and solve challenges collaboratively. Throughout the conversation, she emphasizes that ongoing culture discussions, professional development, and external leadership resources are essential for creating and sustaining a healthy work environment.

Tune in to learn practical ways to break down silos, strengthen collaboration, and build a safer and more respectful perioperative culture!

About Molly Kucera:

Molly Kucera is the Associate Director of the Ambulatory Care Surgery Center at University of Iowa Health Care. With more than two decades of perioperative nursing experience, she leads teams and operations focused on improving surgical care delivery, staffing, workflows, patient experience, and team well-being. She is completing a Doctor of Nursing Practice focused on developing nurse leaders through structured, evidence-based mentorship. Molly is also passionate about nurse-led innovation and empowering frontline teams to create scalable solutions that improve care, efficiency, and organizational performance.

What You’ll Learn In This Episode:

Compassionate accountability helps leaders address disruptive behavior privately and respectfully while preserving trust, dignity, and professional relationships.

Regular interdisciplinary meetings give nurses, physicians, and support teams a shared space to raise concerns, improve communication, and solve problems together.

Breaking down silos in perioperative care strengthens collaboration and supports better workflows, team well-being, patient safety, and care delivery.

Making workplace culture a standing agenda item keeps communication, behavior, and team dynamics visible instead of waiting for problems to escalate.

Ongoing professional support and leadership development help team members navigate workplace challenges and sustain positive cultural change.

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