Crew Resource Management (CRM) and Skills

Crew Resource Management Skills
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Crew Resource Management Skills
Crew Resource Management (CRM) originated in the aviation industry in the year 1979. The purpose of its creation was to increase the safety of individuals on board an aircraft. Subsequently, CRM refers to the combination of all techniques and knowledge aimed at mitigating human error, which is the leading cause of accidents and mishaps (F.Malec, et al., 2007). It also involves the formation of teams and their training as well as the development of leadership within the aviation industry. It also includes the employment of safety tools and appropriate measurements or approaches, which all work together to stimulate communication among individuals. CRM also stimulates progression in teamwork, effective decision-making, and encouragement of feedback to stimulate improvement. Other imperative activities include cross-checking tools to prevent possible mishaps and management of fatigue. The healthcare industry today has begun to incorporate the CRM concepts to progress and advance patient safety in the hospitals, and it has been a success for many years. It has inspired health care leadership, teamwork performance, and increased passion for great care. The paper focuses on the eight primary CRM skills that are at the forefront in boosting the performance of the healthcare industry.
Standardized Communication
The prevention of human error within the healthcare facilities is largely based on the quality of communication, where if ineffective, will lead to detrimental effects. In most cases, attaining effective communication may become challenging due to various reasons. First, every care provider has different views concerning their priorities on the requirements of the patients (McConaughey, 2008). Consequently, they act independently without consulting other care providers. The healthcare industry is a complex environment, comprising of different people with specialties in diverse fields. They take care of various needs of the patients and as such, they rarely communicate with one another. The SBAR standardized communication tool is an intervention of the CRM comprising of four factors, including Situation, Background, Assessment, and Recommendation. In the first step, the caregiver must question the condition of the patient to determine what is happening. Afterwards, he or she evaluates the clinical background of the patient and assesses or evaluates the origin of the problem. Finally, the caregiver recommends the most appropriate treatment for the patient. The SBAR ensures the organization of information concerning the change in the status of the patient (McConaughey, 2008). Team huddles are an excellent way to accompany the SBAR communication tool.
Team Briefings and Debriefings
The team briefing skill in CRM refers to huddling teammates in the same room to discuss issues related to patients, the healthcare facility, and working conditions. They take place often, especially before a decision is made and are a vital aspect of communication in Crew Resource Management. Team briefing and debriefing are essential in creating a team learning cycle in the health facility, where all members learn to stay focused on their responsibilities. In CRM, the mentioned skills are excellent ways to expose possible errors and feasible solutions to mitigate disasters. During the briefing, the entire team unites to set goals and objectives for particular situations, such as cardiac operations, patient records, reduction of medical errors, and patient risk factors, among others. After that, the team implements them and evaluates its performance. In the end, the debriefing segment allows the team to come back together to discuss and evaluate that performance, consequently finalizing the learning cycle (F.Malec, et al., 2007). At this stage, they develop solutions and provide sufficient feedback. Attentiveness is a crucial communication skill that promotes the success of team briefings and debriefings. Other relating factors include active listening, committed attendance, punctuality, concise information, and short time. One of the benefits of these skills is that the team attains situational awareness (SA), which is also another crucial skill of CRM.
Situational Awareness (SA)
The above skill refers to the capability of an individual to be aware of the events surrounding him or her. The person has to comprehend the situation fully, rather than just perceive. It is an excellent tool in diminishing medical errors and as such, the basics of situational awareness are inclusive in medical training sessions today. The named skill is imperative since it provides the caregiver with a wider spectrum of the events surrounding the patient; hence, th...