Implementing Human Factors in Healthcare

In general, reflective accounts play a highly significant role in the practice of any nurse or midwife as they help to analyze incidents, identify necessary improvements or changes, and summarize obtained knowledge. For this account, the reflection on Standard 9.4 of the Health & Care Professions Council with the use of Driscoll’s reflective cycle will be presented. According to this standard, an Operating Department Practitioner (ODP) should be able to contribute effectively to work undertaken as part of a multi-disciplinary team (Health & Care Professions Council (HCPC), 2014). As a matter of fact, a team consists of several groups of individuals who work together in order to reach a shared outcome.

There is a considerably strong rationale for working in a multi-disciplinary team as, due to the increased complexity of disease management, experts in different areas brought together may independently contribute to a diagnosis and appropriate treatment strategy (Whiteman, Dhesi and Walker, 2016). In the case surgery, the perioperative team is responsible for multiple processes, including scrub, anesthesia, and recovery (Gwinnutt and Gwinnutt, 2017). In addition, all team members should present before an operation in order to introduce themselves and participate in the surgical WHO checklist that is used by multi-disciplinary teams to allocate people’s roles to designated functions (Clarke and Jones, 1998).

Due to my anesthetic placement by the mentor, I am frequently responsible for sending for patients, electronic recording of their details, and informing the group responsible for a scrub about the patients’ arrival. Moreover, I accompany them on their way to the anesthetic room, support them, and ensure their consent to the procedure. In fact, I serve as a liaison between patients and the multi-disciplinary team’s members ensuring all individuals are informed. In turn, I was supported by my colleagues as well when lists were long and complicated.

In general, my role in the team was highly important. As I recorded and shared patient data with other members, all of them were prepared to make appropriate and time-sensitive decisions. Consequently, the efforts of every person in the team were appreciated, and common goals were achieved (Abbot and Booth, 2014). I was fully committed to my duties, as any delays could result in misunderstanding or tension.

At the end of the surgery, the members’ sign-out was reading out, and team debriefs included every worker’s opinion concerning general performance (Borrill and West, 2002). In addition, accountability in a multi-disciplinary team is immeasurably essential as in high-pressure environments, patient outcomes frequently depend on actions that should be taken in minutes or even seconds (Wicker and O’Neill, 2010). That is why all team member should confirm verbally their presence, the start of any operation, and its completion to prevent delays and task duplication (Carthey and Clarke, 2010). In turn, their work is appreciated and the opinion or demand of any person is considered and discussed.

After the examination of factors that make team working effective, the significance of the surgical checklist, and its contribution to the goal’s achievement, I have developed several approaches that may help me to become a competent team member. It goes without saying that I should be responsible, attentive, and friendly at the workplace on a first-priority basis. Moreover, I should be an active member of the team and not be afraid to express my opinions as they contribute to the improvement of patients’ safety.

Reference List

Carthey, J. and Clarke, J. (2010) Implementing human factors in healthcare. ‘How to’ guide. Web.

Clarke, P. and Jones, J. (1998) Bridgen’s operating department practice. 1st edn. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.

Gwinnutt, M. and Gwinnutt, C. (2017) Clinical anaesthesia lecture notes. 4th edn. West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Health and Care Professions Council (2014) Standards of proficiency: Operating department practitioners. London: Health and Care Professions Council.

Ryan, S. (2017) ‘Promoting effective teamwork in the healthcare setting’, Nursing Standard, 31(30), pp. 52-60. Web.

Whiteman, A. R., Dhesi, J. K. and Walker, D. (2016) ‘The high-risk surgical patient: a role for a multi-disciplinary team approach?’, BJA: British Journal of Anaesthesia, 116(3), pp. 311-314. Web.

Wicker, P. and O’Neill, J. (2010) Caring for the perioperative patient. 2nd edn. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.