Simulation versus reality: what can interprofessional simulation teach us about team dynamics in the trauma bay?

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Emergency Medicine
• Teamwork and Collaboration

Background:

• Trauma patient management in emergency departments requires effective interprofessional collaboration.
• Understanding team dynamics is crucial for optimizing trauma care outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of interprofessional trauma team training using simulation on the culture of trauma care.
• To explore how simulation influences team interactions and performance in trauma scenarios.

Main Methods:

• Conducted interdisciplinary trauma simulation scenarios with emergency medicine residents, general surgery residents, and emergency medicine nurses.
• Utilized audio-recorded, transcribed, and inductively coded debriefing sessions to analyze team interactions.
• Employed the constant comparative method to develop and refine a codebook, achieving high interrater reliability (kappa > 0.9).

Main Results:

• Six key themes emerged: pre-trauma bay impact, role and team identity, resource allocation, simulation experience impact, trauma leader traits, and interprofessional team performance.
• Pre-simulation interactions significantly influenced team communication, trust, and patient care.
• Clear role definition and effective resource allocation were vital for optimal team function.

Conclusions:

• Interdisciplinary trauma simulations and debriefings offer valuable insights into team dynamics and interprofessional relationships.
• Simulation promotes understanding of roles, identifies effective leadership traits, and aids in developing conflict mitigation strategies.
• These training sessions create a safe environment for practicing quality improvement, communication, and leadership skills, ultimately enhancing real-life trauma bay performance.