Dr Konstantinos Arfanis Dr Konstantinos Arfanis

I studied for a Bsc (Hons) in Sociology and Psychology in Buckinghamshire Chilterns University college (then a part of Brunel University), before undertaking an Msc in Social and Applied psychology at the University of Kent in Canterbury . In 2006 I was awarded a PhD in Psychology from Lancaster University . My previous research covers a wide range of issues such as rape salience, gender, identity, training, organizations, work/life balance and emotions.

My PhD thesis was entitled “Changing Men: The impact of training 'soft skills' on employees, the working environment and relationships” and was supported by an ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council) CASE (Collaborative Award in Science and Engineering) award. I decided there were four issues from the everyday life of modern men that needed to be considered in the process of answering the research questions. These were masculinity, work/life balance, organizational behaviour (identification and commitment) and (organizational) training.

I joined LPSRU in January 2008. Since then I have completed several projects, including an interview study that explores the role professional identity plays in the way different healthcare workers perceive the concepts of risk and safety. A second study used observation and interview techniques in order to look at the issue of Distractions and Interruptions in Anaesthetic practice. There are plans for a further two studies planned for the the near future. One is aimed at investigating the ways gender and professional identity interact to influence the public expression of emotional behaviour in healthcare workers, and the implications of that to patient safety, while the second study will make use of the latest simulation techniques to focus on communication and interaction between front line staff (coming from the same as well as different professionals backgrounds) in Acute Medicine.

 

My recent work includes:

Smith A. F, Arfanis K ‘Sixth sense’ for patient safety. British Journal of Anaesthesia 110 (2): 167–9 (2013) doi:10.1093/bja/aes473

 

Arfanis , K It’s not a picture, it’s a mosaic’. How an organization's safety stance emerges through its microcultures: The role of professional identities in affecting inter-professional communication and collaboration.  "Balancing Creativity and Evidence for Patient Safety Bringing researchers, practitioners and patients together." Bradford, 20th November 2012.

Arfanis , K  "Healthcare professionals’ understanding of patient safety: Do we really know what they think?" Annual Meeting of the Society for Social Studies of Science (4S) held jointly with European Association for the Study of Science and Technology (EASST) October 17-20, 2012; Copenhagen, Denmark

Campbell G, Arfanis K, Smith AF. Distraction and interruption to anaesthetic practice during Caesarean sections. International Journal of Obstetric Anaesthesia 2012; 21: S53.

Arfanis , K “Could professional identities potentially impede on patient safety? The case of Distractions in Anaesthesia. BPS Social Psychology Section Annual Conference. St Andrews, 23-25 August 2012

Arfanis , K “Living without risk is quite risky.” How healthcare professionals deal with uncertainty in everyday work. Making health care safer: learning from social and organisational research. St Andrews, 25-26 June 2012

Campbell G, Arfanis K, Smith AF. Distractions and interruptions in Anaesthetic Practice. Br. J. Anaesth. (2012) : aes219 doi: 10.1093/bja/aes219

Fioratoy, E; Arfanis, K; Smith, A.(2012) 'Non technical skills in Anesthesia'. Rev Esp Anestesiol Reanim. 2011;58(Supl. 3):S36-S43

Arfanis , K “Walk a mile in my shoes”: How inter-professional understanding could help improve patient safety. Making health care safer: learning from social and organisational research. St Andrews, 27-28 June 2011

Arfanis, K; Fioratoy, E; Smith, A.(2011)Safety culture in anaesthesiology: Basic concepts and practical application. Best Practice & Research Clinical Anaesthesiology 25 (2011) 229–238

Arfanis, K;  Shillito, J; Smith, A.(2011) Informal risk assessment strategies in health care staff an unrecognised source of resilience.J Eval Clin Pract 2012;18:1140-6.

Arfanis, K;  Shillito, J; Smith, A.(2011) Healthcare professionals' understanding of patient safety: relevance to the development of person-centered medicine. International Journal of Person Centered Medicine. Vol1, No3. 475-481

Arfanis, K;  Shillito, J; Smith, A.(2011) 'Risking safety or safely risking? Healthcare professionals' understanding of risk-taking in everyday work', Psychology, Health & Medicine, 16: 1, 66 — 73

Campbell G, Arfanis K, Smith AF. Critical phase distractions during anaesthesia. Anaesthesia 2011; 66: 751-2

Arfanis K, Lewis, C. (2010) Now we are talking! Scripting Masculinity and emotionality in Everyday life. Special Issue of the International Journal of Work Organisation & Emotion 2010 Volume 3, Number 3, pp. 237-252

Shillito J, Arfanis K, Smith AF. (2010) ‘The role of checking in healthcare safety: theoretical basis and practical application’ International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 23 Issue: 8, pp.699 - 707

Arfanis K. (2010) Are you talking to me? How professional identity influences communication between healthcare professionals and the potential impact on patient safety. 3rd North British Patient Safety Research symposium. Bradford, November 2010

Arfanis K. (2010) Teams, prototypes and patient safety. Are we on the same page? How professional identity influences communication between healthcare professionals. BPS Social Psychology Section Annual Conference, Winchester, September 7 – 9 2010

Arfanis K; Shillito J; Smith A. (2009) Healthcare professionals’ understanding of risk-taking in everyday work: How this relates to NPSA’s 5 steps to risk assessment. Poster presentation in the NPSA 3rd Annual UK Patient Safety Conference, London 16 December 2009

Arfanis K. (2009) The role of organisational training in enhancing identification with, and commitment to the employer. BPS Social Psychology Section Annual Conference, Sheffield, September 15 – 17 2009

Arfanis K; Shillito J; Smith A. (2009) Professional Identities in a healthcare environment and its influence on patient safety perception. .2nd North British Patient Safety Research symposium. Aberdeen, November 2009

Arfanis K; Shillito J; Smith A. (2009) Risk perception: How it is understood and lived by frontline staff in an acute setting. 2nd North British Patient Safety Research symposium. Aberdeen, November 2009

Arfanis K, Shillito J. (2009). The role of professional identity in understanding patient safety and risk in a healthcare environment. BPS Social Psychology Section Annual Conference, Sheffield, September 15 – 17 2009

Arfanis, K (2008). Male doctors and emotions. A hidden issue in patient safety? The impact of professional and gender identity in medical profession. 1st Annual North British Patient Safety Research Symposium. Lancaster, May 2008

Arfanis, K (2008). Now we are talking! Are men really not communicating their emotions? : A meta-textual analysis. 2nd International emotions conference ‘The future of feelings’. Guildford, June 2008

Arfanis, K; Shillito, J (2008). Trust me, I am a man, and a doctor’. Does medical emotional abstinence compromise patient safety? What happens when gender identity enters the frame? 2nd International emotions conference ‘The future of feelings’. Guildford, June 2008

Arfanis, K (2007). Social identity and the role of training in enhancing identification with, and commitment to, the organization: British Psychological Society Social Psychology Section annual conference. Canterbury, September 2007

Arfanis, K (2004). Working to live or living to work? A Meta-textual Analysis: British Psychological society Social Psychology Section annual conference. Liverpool, September 2004

Arfanis, K (2003). Intimacy in Men's Talk. A Meta-textual Analysis: British Psychological society Social Psychology Section annual conference. London, September 2003
 

University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay