By Steve Kreiser, CDR, USN Ret., MBA, MSM

People make decisions, or choices, based on their knowledge of the current operating environment and their past education or experience. This past education or experience is stored in the human brain in the form of rules. The human brain perceives a situation, scans for a rule from its long-term memory, recalls and then acts to apply the rule.

By Steve Kreiser, CDR, USN Ret., MBA, MSM

Situational awareness is the degree to which knowledge and perception of a given situation mirrors reality. Figure 4 shows how threats such as distractions, miscommunication, poor attention to detail, workarounds or other problems can cause a situation to deteriorate and get off track. A team with good situational awareness recognizes these “red flags” and the reality of the situation, then applies the necessary resources to adjust back toward the goal of the plan of care.

By Steve Kreiser, CDR, USN Ret., MBA, MSM

Element #5 – Adaptability

Adaptability is all about working well with others and being flexible enough to adjust to changes in the situation or plan of care. Remaining flexible when new information becomes available is critical to making a team function well, especially during unplanned situations and emergencies.

By Steve Kreiser, CDR, USN Ret., MBA, MSM

Element #4 – Assertiveness

In the 1960s and 1970s, Dutch psychologist Geert Hofstede conducted extensive research on how humans interact in a culture or organization. One of the measures he used to define this interaction is known as the power distance index, or PDI. This index measures power distance among cultures and indicates attitudes toward hierarchy – in particular, how a culture values and respects authority. The higher the power distance in a culture, the less likely those in subordinate roles will question the actions or directions of individuals in authority.

By Steve Kreiser, CDR, USN Ret., MBA, MSM

Element #3 – Communication

The Joint Commission believes the majority of all events of harm in healthcare are due to breakdowns in communication. This is a fairly broad statement that fails to answer the “whys” of the communication failures.

By Steve Kreiser, CDR, USN Ret., MBA, MSM

In December 1972, Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 was on its final approach to the Miami International Airport late at night when the crew noticed a green “landing gear down” indicator light was not illuminated. The captain made the decision to abort the landing attempt and circle the airport to troubleshoot the problem over the vast darkness of the Florida Everglades

By Steve Kreiser, CDR, USN Ret., MBA, MSM
The success of any team – whether in sports, business, or healthcare – starts and ends with its leader. Some leaders are collaborative by nature and some are not. Those leaders with a dictatorial style that inhibits the flow of information will have a difficult time making crew resource management (CRM) work in their team settings.

By Steve Kreiser, CDR, USN Ret., MBA, MSM

In 2006, Lauren Wargo, a 19-year-old from Shaker Heights, Ohio, went to an outpatient surgical center where a plastic surgeon was going to remove a mole from her eyebrow. The oxygen used during her surgery and an electrical device used to seal blood vessels combined to create a flash flame that left her face, neck, and ear badly burned. Four years later, the 23-year-old still has to wear make-up to cover the scars on her face and is unable to completely close one eyelid.

Denver—Medical Simulation Corporation (MSC) offers guideline-based simulation training solutions for health care organizations seeking funding through the Health Care Innovation Challenge.

November 16, 2011 — Atlanta, GA. Healthcare Team Training (HTT) and IDEAS have partnered to launch StoryCare™, the first enterprise-wide, staff deployed teamwork simulation program using the power of story to measurably improve patient safety and satisfaction.