83 - Changing Your Operating Room Trauma Team From Green to a Machine

Description: Training staff in a newly designated Level 1 trauma center operating room presents significant challenges, particularly in the absence of established academic guidelines. Alexandrino et al. (2023) highlight that failures in coordination, planning, task management, and especially communication are key contributors to surgical errors. To address these issues, the University of Chicago Medicine, which serves a high volume of penetrating trauma cases from Chicago's South Side, implemented a comprehensive trauma training program emphasizing teamwork and repetition. This program combined timed drills for charge nurses and administrative teams with hands-on, repetitive live training in a safe environment. The approach enhanced the skills and confidence of both new and experienced staff, ensuring better preparedness for trauma cases. A similar model was successfully adapted for the pediatric trauma team, further strengthening institutional capability in delivering high-quality trauma care.

Alexandrino H, Martinho B, Ferreira L, Baptista S. Non-technical skills and teamwork in trauma: from the emergency department to the operating room. Front Med (Lausanne). 2023 Dec 5;10:1319990. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2023.1319990. PMID: 38116034; PMCID: PMC10728672.