Enhancing the training of trauma resuscitation flash teams: A mixed methods study

Aims: To determine whether simulated multidisciplinary team training influences teamwork practices and experiences when resuscitating critically injured patients and to generate evidence for training trauma resuscitation flash teams. Background: Trauma teams perform in stressful situations. They are 'flash' teams, mobilised quickly and comprise of different specialties and disciplines. Simulation is promoted as a training strategy. Significant gaps remain in evaluating the impact of this training on clinical practice. Further research is warranted to determine the most effective way to train trauma resuscitation flash team. Design: Final integration phase of a mixed methods embedded experimental study. Methods: Primary quantitative results (time to critical operations, facilitators and barriers to teamwork) were merged with supplementary qualitative results (team members' experiences and perspectives) to explain the influences of simulated multidisciplinary trauma team training on teamwork and patient outcomes. Results: Four main themes were developed: communication needs to be specific to the emergency context; collaborative decision-making influences resuscitation situations; standardisation promotes efficient trauma care; proficient leadership empowers multidisciplinary teamwork. Conclusion: Frontline clinicians identified real-world experiences that enable or impede team performance in trauma resuscitations. Our findings ascertain why multidisciplinary team training enhances team performance and what content should be incorporated in training programmes. Crown Copyright (C) 2018 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of College of Emergency Nursing Australasia. All rights reserved.