1. What are the attitudes and perceptions of Surgeons and Scrub Nurses towards Surgical Briefing and Debriefing? Pamela Firth, BSc. Golden Jubilee National Hospital, Thoracic Theatres.

2. BACKGROUND World Health Organisation (2008) Surgical Safety Checklist
Sign in
Time out
Sign out.
National Patient Safety Agency (2009) – Five Steps to safer surgery.
Surgical Briefs
Surgical Debriefs

3. Surgical Briefs and Debriefs Scottish Patient Safety Programme (2014)
Improves Team and Patient Safety
Reduce Morbidity and Mortality
Manage Human Error
Reduces Avoidable Mistakes
Improves Team Communication

4. Surgical Briefs - Recommendations for Best Practice East Cheshire NHS Trust (2015)
Team introductions
Review cases
Discuss changes, expectations, concerns and issues
Anticipated duration
Equipment required
Patient recovery

5. Surgical Debrief Requires all team members present
What went well and why?
Near misses and errors
Changes to be made to improve patient care and safety

6. Research
Over half of complications related to surgery are preventable. Atul Gawande (2011)
Compliance
Structure
Information Sharing
Communication

7. Aims and Objectives
To explore the perceived efficacy and attitudes that drive the safe performance of a frontline surgical team in theatre.
To identify effective/challenging key factors in teamwork, that can have a positive/negative impact on the safety culture in surgery.

8. METHODS
Study Design – One to one interviews
Sample Size – Ten participants
Ethics Approval
Access
Pilot Study

9. RESULTS
100% of participants reported debriefing is very rarely carried out.
90% of participants reported inconsistencies-Structure, Information Sharing.
90% of participants reported a lack of introductions.
90% of participants reported an unsuitable environment.

10. Limitations One Unit/One Hospital
Selecting two Healthcare Professionals
Majority of participants were Scrub Nurses

11. CONCLUSIONS
IMPROVEMENTS
Implementation of Debriefs
Introduction of Structured Briefs
Team Communication
Suitable Environment

12. QUESTIONS

13. References
Eastcheshire.nhs.uk. (2015). Five Steps to Safer Surgical Interventions. [online] Available at: Trust/policies/S/Safer%20Surgical%20Interventions%20ECT2362.pdf [Accessed 19 Mar. 2017].
Gawande, A. (2011). The checklist manifesto: How to get things right. Atul Gawande. London: Profile Books.
National Patient Safety Agency. (2009). How to guide to the five steps to safer surgery. [online] Available at: [Accessed 12 Apr. 2017]
Scottish patient safety Programme national conference - driving improvements in patient safety. (2014). [online] Available at: ceScottish%20Patient%20Safety%20Programme%20Conference%20Highlig hts.pdf [Accessed 6 Feb. 2017].
WHO, (2008). WHO surgical safety checklist and implementation manual. [online] Available at: [Accessed 5 Feb. 2017].