Post by Spencer Willette, OMS-IV
Imagine a sports coach who receives a brand new team of players for a game with no background knowledge on the opponent. How do you think the game will go?
Now think about you as a physician who receives the call for a resuscitation. The team of health care providers on the floor is new to you and there is no time to look up the patient’s medical history. How will you respond?
Patient care is a direct impact of your response in this scenario. Knowledge acquisition is vital to developing your clinical skills as an EM provider, however using that knowledge requires a whole other set of skills. As many of you know, the resuscitation mindset is about finding comfort in the discomfort and still finding a way to lead your team. Approaching resuscitation with a calm and confident mindset sets the tone for the encounter.
Areas of Improvement:
- Equipment
- Oftentimes when reviewing the resuscitation response, equipment is mentioned in the conversation. Whether this is not having adequate or easily accessible equipment, it is frequently a focal point of potential opportunity to improve. At the beginning of each shift, check the equipment to ensure you have what you need to be successful. You can never go wrong being prepared!
- Leadership
- The key to leadership during a resuscitation and in general is communication. Conveying a clear and direct message to the team creates an environment where everyone is on the same page. Manage the room before you manage the patient. Additionally, learn from others when the opportunity presents itself. It takes time to develop your technique and being open to always trying to learn and improve is imperative to patient care, especially during codes. Build relationships with people on the floor, where you can gain their trust. Explore how you canimprove as a leader and communicator for the next time a resuscitation occurs. Being prepared and exploring techniques to assist in self management in critical situations can greatly enhance your resuscitation technique.
Take-Home Points:
- Learn to harness the power of stress
- Defibrillate your resuscitation and lead your room
- Start to explore different techniques for self management
Listen to the discussion
About our Guest:
Geoff Comp, DO is the Associate Program Director of theCreighton Phoenix/Valleywise Health (‘Copa) Emergency Medicine residency.
References:
- https://www.stemlynspodcast.org/e/five-free-strategies-to-improve-your-resuscitations-simon-carley-at-stemlynslive/
- https://blog.impraise.com/360-feedback/the-power-of-peer-coaching-5-tips-to-improve-your-teams-performance
- https://hbr.org/2015/03/how-to-get-your-team-to-coach-each-other
- https://www.annemergmed.com/article/S0196-0644(17)30314-1/fulltext
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6166036/
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