On November 9, 2011, the Joint Commission announced that they will be changing the definition of the term “disruptive behavior.”  Specifically, they have noted that disruptive behavior is “behavior or behaviors that undermine a culture of safety.”  They added that term is not viewed favorably by some and that many find it to be ambiguous.  Though I surely agree with this, I do not foresee an large, wide-reaching entity such as the Joint Commission being able to define a very complex range of behaviors in a way that covers all it needs to cover without going too far.  When I give talks about disruptive behavior and workplace violence I often suggest that (unfortunately) the classification of one’s behavior as being disruptive “lies in the eyes of the beholder.”  There’s no way the Joint Commission (or even a hospital, small practice or company) could get away with that.