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Have you been briefed?
In the WHO five steps to safer for surgery
the first step is the team brief. Great emphasis is placed on the apparently
trivial task of
each individual team member introducing themselves and their role
and then discussing what is planned for the day or shift. To understand why this is important
we have to think about two things: Firstly the nature of teams in hospitals
and secondly, the nature of the task they have to achieve.
In hospitals teams are very complex and the nature of modern work and shift
patterns means that teams are often formed at very short notice
to achieve a highly complex task and just as rapidly dispersed
once it has been achieved. As individuals working in hospital
we can be working in several different teams during the course of a working day.
A ward team during a ward round, a theatre team
during a operating list, or a directorate team during a meeting.
It is vitally important that team members
are briefed not only on the expected course of events
but also on the anticipated complexities of the task,
or where it might go wrong. It is also important
team members are kept up-to-date when unanticipated changes do occur.
Whilst the WHO five steps are designed specifically for the operating theatres
the principles enshrined in are applicable to most settings.
The team brief is also a shift handover, a board round,
or safety huddle. In any setting a team brief serves to
able clarity of direction, facilitate
better coordination between team members, reduce the risk problems & breakdowns
occurring
develop contingency plans for when things going wrong,
clear any misunderstandings, create a culture of
open communication and make everyone feel part of a team.
The more unusual ad hoc or unfamiliar a
situation or team is the more important it is to take time to familiarise team
members
with each other and the task in hand. Remember
safe care is delivered by teams who know each other and know what they are doing.