Impact of a dedicated trauma teams course on attitude change towards non-technical skills

Introduction

Non-technical skills (NTS) are one of the main factors affecting the performance of trauma teams. NTS, which includes communication and mutual support, are not traditionally addressed in undergraduate education. Therefore, developing these skills in a postgraduate context becomes extremely important, using simulated environments. To address this gap in the development of non-technical skills among trauma team members of a Level I trauma center, a course was developed to improve their performance.

Objectives

This study aims to understand the impact of NTS training with an original, dedicated trauma team training program, on the self-reported perception of attitudes regarding non-technical skills.

Materials & Methods

The study population consists of 16 doctors and nurses, trauma team members of a Level I trauma center. Before starting the course, participants answered the TeamSTEPPS® Teamwork Attitudes Questionnaire. Participants completed the course, which included a brief theoretical introduction and various simulated scenarios consisting of team management of severe trauma, followed by debriefing sessions at the end of each scenario. At the end of the course, participants were asked to retake the questionnaire.

Results

We observed a significant change in participants' self-perception of attitudes, particularly in Team Structure (z=-2,76 p=0,003), Situation Monitoring (z=-1,95 p=0.026) and Mutual Support (z=-1,98 p= 0,024) Whilst there wasn"t a statistical change in Leadership (z=-2,15 p= 0,984) and Communication (z=-0,61 p= 0,271).

Conclusion

Based on these results, we can infer that developing dedicated trauma team training courses can improve the self-reported perception of team members in NTS. This can potentially translate into better team performance.

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