Examples of Successful Implementation

Implementing something new can often be an isolating or daunting experience. We want you to know that you are not alone! Other champions around the United States have been working hard with their teams to implement the crisis checklists within their operating rooms. We have collected their stories and will regularly post them here as they become available in order to inspire and lead you on your implementation journey. We also invite you to share your stories once you begin your implementation.

Managing Care in Acute Settings

“My vascular case was going very smoothly until my patient decompensated from severe anaphylactic reaction to protamine. Despite being fully aware of the appropriate management and drug doses of such a reaction, all my brain energy went into managing the immediate cardiovascular deterioration. The checklists freed my mind to focus on coordinating the team, our communication, and making sure the patient received the appropriate treatment quickly. Checklists are invaluable in such an acute settings and they helped our patient survive this life threatening situation.”

“Debriefing following a mock or live event allows team members to reflect and share their experience. Addressing effective use of the checklist should be a component of the discussion. The checklist can also provide an outline for reviewing the actual clinical management steps.” Excerpt from “Train Staff: Facilitating and Debriefing”

“Debriefing with users over the first year after using the Obstetrical Hemorrhage checklist revealed a surprise to me. On multiple occasions, colleagues reported that consultation with the checklist confirmed that all necessary management steps were under way. By using the checklist, they reported they were able to improve their focus on managing the event without having to spend time second-guessing their memory of what had or had not been completed. They regularly reported that this turned out to be as much of a benefit to the clinical team as identifying a missing step”

On Team Training

“The team training has a big impact in breaking down the barriers. When you discuss the emergency checklist in a debriefing, everyone found that it was helpful…. They need to be familiar with it before they use it, understanding the content and the format, and the next step is to help in prompting more and earlier appropriate use.”

“One of the most beneficial things about the training and the manuals/checklists themselves is it’s about teamwork. One of the biggest benefits was getting the nurses involved. That opened up communication lines between the anesthesia QI and OR nursing in a way that none of the other projects before had. So the collaborative aspect of it is something that has longer lasting benefits too.”