Role Identity During the Resuscitation of Trauma Patients

Full trauma team activations (TTAs) are initiated for patients meeting criteria that are indicative of life-threatening injuries. This influx of medical personnel causes crowding, as well as increased noise. Both adverse effects create an environment that is prone to medical errors, miscommunication, and physical limitations reaching the patient.

A perception survey was issued to all members of the trauma-resuscitation team. The survey focused on the perception of organization, role identity, communication, crowding, and noise during the resuscitation. Following the conclusions of the survey, a role identity process was initiated. The roles of each team member were preprinted on neon stickers and kept at the door of the trauma bay. Team members were required to don a sticker to be in the resuscitation room. Seven months after the initiation of this process, the original survey was reissued.

A total of 141 team members completed the preimplementation survey, and 96 completed the postimplementation survey. A significant difference was found in the perception of less noise (p = .009) and improved communication (p =.005) during the trauma resuscitation. No significant difference was determined regarding the perception of organization (p = .175) or improvement in knowing the roles of all the team members (p = .090).

Having a mechanism to identify the members of the trauma team during a full TTA resuscitation has shown to limit overcrowding, improve communication, and decrease noise during trauma resuscitation. This mechanism ensures appropriate personnel are present during this phase of the critically injured patient.