A Qualitative Study of Racial, Ethnic, and Cultural Experiences of Minority Clinicians During Agitation Care in the Emergency Department.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Racial and ethnic bias in health care has been documented at structural, organizational, and clinical levels, impacting emergency care, including agitation management in the emergency department (ED). Little is known about the experiences of racial and ethnic minority ED clinicians caring for racial and ethnic minority groups, especially during their agitated state. The objective of this study was to explore the lived experiences of racial and ethnic minority ED clinicians who have treated patients with agitation in the ED. METHODS: We performed semistructured individual interviews of Black, Latino, and multiracial clinicians who worked at 1 of 3 EDs from an urban quaternary care medical center in the Northeast United States between August 2020 and June 2022. We performed thematic analysis through open coding of initial transcripts and identifying additional codes through sequential iterative rounds of group discussion. Once the codebook was finalized and applied to all transcripts, the team identified key themes and subthemes. RESULTS: Of the 27 participants interviewed, 14 (52%) identified as Black, 9 (33%) identified as Hispanic/Latino, and 4 (15%) identified as multiracial and/or other race and ethnicity. Three primary themes emerged from racial and ethnic minority clinician experiences of managing agitation: witness of perceived bias during clinical interactions with patients of color who bear racialized presumptions of agitation, moral injury and added workload to address perceived biased agitation management practices while facing discrimination in the workplace, and natural advocacy and allyship for agitated patients of color based on a shared identity and life experience. CONCLUSIONS: Our study found that through their shared minority status, racial and ethnic minority clinicians had a unique vantage point to observe perceived bias in the management of agitation in minority patients. Although they faced added challenges as racial and ethnic minority clinicians, their allyship offered potential mitigation strategies for addressing disparities in caring for an underserved and historically marginalized patient population.

Implementation of simulation-based health systems science modules for resident physicians.

BACKGROUND: Health system science (HSS) encompasses both core and cross-cutting domains that emphasize the complex interplay of care delivery, finances, teamwork, and clinical practice that impact care quality and safety in health care. Although HSS skills are required during residency training for physicians, current HSS didactics have less emphasis on hands-on practice and experiential learning. Medical simulation can allow for experiential participation and reflection in a controlled environment. Our goal was to develop and pilot three simulation scenarios as part of an educational module for resident physicians that incorporated core and cross-cutting HSS domains.  METHODS: Each scenario included a brief didactic, an interactive simulation in small-group breakout rooms, and a structured debriefing. The case scenario topics consisted of educational leadership, quality and safety, and implementation science. Learners from four residency programs (psychiatry, emergency medicine, orthopedics, ophthalmology) participated January - March 2021. RESULTS: A total of 95 resident physicians received our curricular module, and nearly all (95%) participants who completed a post-session survey reported perceived learning gains. Emotional reactions to the session were positive especially regarding the interactive role-play format. Recommendations for improvement included participation from non-physician professions and tailoring of scenarios for specific disciplines/role. Knowledge transfer included use of multiple stakeholder perspectives and effective negotiation by considering power/social structures. CONCLUSIONS: The simulation-based scenarios can be feasibly applied for learner groups across different residency training programs. Simulations were conducted in a virtual learning environment, but future work can include in-person and actor-based simulations to further enhance emotional reactions and the reality of the case scenarios.

Qualitative study of patient experiences and care observations during agitation events in the emergency department: implications for systems-based practice.

OBJECTIVES: Agitation, defined as excessive psychomotor activity leading to aggressive or violent behaviour, is prevalent in the emergency department (ED) due to rising behavioural-related visits. Experts recommend use of verbal de-escalation and avoidance of physical restraint to manage agitation. However, bedside applications of these recommendations may be limited by system challenges in emergency care. This qualitative study aims to use a systems-based approach, which considers the larger context and system of healthcare delivery, to identify sociotechnical, structural, and process-related factors leading to agitation events and physical restraint use in the ED. DESIGN: Qualitative study using a grounded theory approach to triangulate interviews of patients who have been physically restrained with direct observations of agitation events. SETTING: Two EDs in the Northeast USA, one at a tertiary care academic centre and the other at a community-based teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS: We recruited 25 individuals who experienced physical restraint during an ED visit. In addition, we performed 95 observations of clinical encounters of agitation events on unique patients. Patients represented both behavioural (psychiatric, alcohol/drug use) and non-behavioural (medical, trauma) chief complaints. RESULTS: Three primary themes with implications for systems-based practice of agitation events in the ED emerged: (1) pathways within health and social systems; (2) interpersonal contexts as reflections of systemic stressors on behavioural emergency care and (3) systems-based and patient-oriented strategies and solutions. CONCLUSIONS: Agitation events represented manifestations of patients' structural barriers to care from socioeconomic inequities and high burden of emotional and physical trauma as well as staff members' simultaneous exposure to external stressors from social and healthcare systems. Potential long-term solutions may include care approaches that recognise agitated patients' exposure to psychological trauma, improved coordination within the mental health emergency care network, and optimisation of physical environment conditions and organisational culture.

Improving patient and clinician safety during COVID-19 through rapidly adaptive simulation and a randomised controlled trial: a study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 required healthcare systems to iteratively adapt for safe and up-to-date care as knowledge of the disease rapidly evolved. Rates of COVID-19 infections continue to fluctuate and patients without COVID-19 increasingly return to the emergency department (ED) for care. This leads to new challenges and threats to patient and clinician safety as suspected patients with COVID-19 need to be quickly detected and isolated among other patients with non-COVID-19-related illnesses. At the front lines, emergency physicians also face continued personal safety concerns and increased work burden, which heighten stress and anxiety, especially given the prolonged course of the pandemic. Burnout, already a serious concern for emergency physicians due to the cumulative stresses of their daily practice, may present as a longer-term outcome of these acute stressors. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will implement a rapidly adaptive simulation-based approach to understand and improve physician preparedness while decreasing physician stress and anxiety. First, we will conduct semi-structured qualitative interviews and human factor observations to determine the challenges and facilitators of COVID-19 preparedness and mitigation of physician stress. Next, we will conduct a randomised controlled trial to test the effectiveness of a simulation preparedness intervention on physician physiological stress as measured by decreased heart rate variability on shift and anxiety as measured by the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The protocol was reviewed and approved by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality for funding, and ethics approval was obtained from the Yale University Human Investigation Committee in 2020 (HIC# 2000029370 and 2000029372). To support ongoing efforts to address clinician stress and preparedness, we will strategically disseminate the simulation intervention to areas most impacted by COVID-19. Using a virtual telesimulation and webinar format, the dissemination efforts will provide hands-on learning for ED and hospital administrators as well as simulation educators. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT04614844.

All clinical stressors are not created equal: Differential task stress in a simulated clinical environment.

Background: A variety of stressors are encountered while working in the emergency department and are often recreated in simulation-based medical education. We seek to examine the physiologic and stress state response of participants in a simulated clinical environment to commonly encountered stressors. Methods: Emergency medicine (EM) residents participated in a randomized, controlled trial of six simulated patient encounters with one of three stressors, medical difficulty, interpersonal challenge, and technology/equipment failure, randomized into each scenario. Participants wore smart shirts to measure heart rate variability (HRV) at rest and just after the introduced stressor and completed the Short Stress State Questionnaire (SSSQ) before and after each scenario. Results: Twenty-seven EM residents participated in the study. Interpersonal challenge resulted in increased distress as measured by SSSQ compared to the other two stressors (one way ANOVA, F[2,144] = 9.95, p < 0.001). There was no difference in worry or task engagement across stressors. HRV decreased significantly from rest for all stressors (p = 0.0003, p = 0.0112, p = 0.0027 for medical difficulty, interpersonal challenge, and equipment failure, respectively), but there was no statistically significant difference between mean change in HRV across stressors (one way ANOVA, F[2,120] = 0.17, p = 0.8452). Conclusions: Interpersonal challenge stressor was significantly associated with an increase in distress in EM residents during the simulated encounters as compared to the other stressors. While heart rate variability decreased from rest for each stressor as expected following stressor introduction, differing stressors did not produce a differential change.

Burnout and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms Among Emergency Medicine Resident Physicians During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: Emergency medicine is characterized by high volume decision-making while under multiple stressors. With the arrival of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus in early 2020, physicians across the world were met with a surge of critically ill patients. Emergency physicians (EP) are prone to developing burnout and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), due to experiencing emotional trauma as well as the cumulative stress of practice. Thus, calls have been made for attempts to prevent physician PTSD during this current pandemic. METHODS: From July 2019-January 2020, emergency medicine (EM) resident physicians at a large, academic healthcare system were surveyed for symptoms of burnout using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI). In late April and early May 2020, during the outbreak surge of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the Northeast USA, these same residents and the whole EM residency at the institution were again surveyed for symptoms of burnout as well as post-traumatic stress using the PTSD Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (PCL-5). A final survey was administered to the EM residents after the COVID-19 surge had largely subsided in June 2020. RESULTS: Twenty-two residents participated in the pre-pandemic study and completed the MBI. Twelve (55%) completed the two follow-up MBI surveys. In the larger EM residency cohort, 31/60 residents completed the MBI and PCL-5 survey during the pandemic peak and 30/60 (50%) completed the follow-up surveys. There were no significant differences in the three MBI burnout category measures of emotional exhaustion (P = 0.49), depersonalization (P = 0.13), and personal accomplishment (P = 0.70) pre-, during, and post-COVID. Of 31 participants, 11 (35%) scored greater than 31 on the PCL-5. Two residents had scores between 21-30, interpreted as "at risk." At greater than one month follow-up, 2/30 continued to meet criteria for a preliminary PTSD diagnosis, and five were "at risk." CONCLUSION: A significant proportion of residents (35%) experienced post-traumatic symptoms acutely during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, potentially indicating a high prevalence of acute stress disorder in this population and increased risk of developing PTSD. However, there was no significant difference in burnout levels in this cohort before, during, or after the initial COVID-19 surge. Early screening for physicians at risk and referral for assessment and treatment may be important to mitigate pandemic-related PTSD.

A qualitative system dynamics model for effects of workplace violence and clinician burnout on agitation management in the emergency department.

BACKGROUND: Over 1.7 million episodes of agitation occur annually across the United States in emergency departments (EDs), some of which lead to workplace assaults on clinicians and require invasive methods like physical restraints to maintain staff and patient safety. Recent studies demonstrated that experiences of workplace violence contribute to symptoms of burnout, which may impact future decisions regarding use of physical restraints on agitated patients. To capture the dynamic interactions between clinicians and agitated patients under their care, we applied qualitative system dynamics methods to develop a model that describes feedback mechanisms of clinician burnout and the use of physical restraints to manage agitation. METHODS: We convened an interprofessional panel of clinician stakeholders and agitation experts for a series of model building sessions to develop the current model. The panel derived the final version of our model over ten sessions of iterative refinement and modification, each lasting approximately three to four hours. We incorporated findings from prior studies on agitation and burnout related to workplace violence, identifying interpersonal and psychological factors likely to influence our outcomes of interest to form the basis of our model. RESULTS: The final model resulted in five main sets of feedback loops that describe key narratives regarding the relationship between clinician burnout and agitated patients becoming physically restrained: (1) use of restraints decreases agitation and risk of assault, leading to increased perceptions of safety and decreasing use of restraints in a balancing feedback loop which stabilizes the system; (2) clinician stress leads to a perception of decreased safety and lower threshold to restrain, causing more stress in a negatively reinforcing loop; (3) clinician burnout leads to a decreased perception of colleague support which leads to more burnout in a negatively reinforcing loop; (4) clinician burnout leads to negative perceptions of patient intent during agitation, thus lowering threshold to restrain and leading to higher task load, more likelihood of workplace assaults, and higher burnout in a negatively reinforcing loop; and (5) mutual trust between clinicians causes increased perceptions of safety and improved team control, leading to decreased clinician stress and further increased mutual trust in a positively reinforcing loop. CONCLUSIONS: Our system dynamics approach led to the development of a robust qualitative model that illustrates a number of important feedback cycles that underly the relationships between clinician experiences of workplace violence, stress and burnout, and impact on decisions to physically restrain agitated patients. This work identifies potential opportunities at multiple targets to break negatively reinforcing cycles and support positive influences on safety for both clinicians and patients in the face of physical danger.

Design and Implementation of an Agitation Code Response Team in the Emergency Department.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: Agitation, defined as excessive psychomotor activity leading to violent and aggressive behavior, is becoming more prevalent in the emergency department (ED) amidst a strained behavioral health system. Team-based interventions have demonstrated promise in promoting de-escalation, with the hope of minimizing the need for invasive techniques, like physical restraints. This study aimed to evaluate an interprofessional code response team intervention to manage agitation in the ED with the goal of decreasing physical restraint use. METHODS: This quality improvement study occurred over 3 phases, representing stepwise rollout of the intervention: (1) preimplementation (phase I) to establish baseline outcome rates; (2) design and administrative support (phase II) to conduct training and protocol design; and (3) implementation (phase III) of the code response team. An interrupted time-series analysis was used to compare trends between phases to evaluate the primary outcome of physical restraint orders occurring during the study period. RESULTS: Within the 634,578 ED visits over a 5-year period, restraint use significantly declined sequentially over the 3 phases (1.1%, 0.9%, and 0.8%, absolute change -0.3% between phases I and III, 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.4% to 0.3%), which corresponded to a 27.3% proportionate decrease in restraint rates between phases I and III. For the interrupted time-series analysis, there was a significantly decreasing slope in biweekly restraints in phase II compared to phase I (slope, -0.05 restraints per 1,000 ED visits per 2-week period, 95% CI -0.07 to -0.03), which was sustained in an incremental fashion in phase III (slope, -0.05, 95% CI -0.07 to -0.02). CONCLUSION: With the implementation of a structured agitation code response team intervention combined with design and administrative support, a decreased rate of physical restraint use occurred over a 5-year period. Results suggest that investment in organizational change, along with interprofessional collaboration during the management of agitated patients in the ED, can lead to sustained reductions in the use of an invasive and potentially harmful measure on patients.

Improving Safety and Quality During Interhospital Transfer of Patients With Nontraumatic Intracranial Hemorrhage: A Simulation-Based Pilot Program.

BACKGROUND: The presentation of critically ill patients to emergency departments often necessitates interhospital transfer (IHT) to a tertiary care center for specialized neurocritical care. Patients with nontraumatic intracranial hemorrhage represent a critically ill population subject to high rates of IHT and who is thus an important target for research and quality improvement of IHT. We describe the use of an innovative simulation methodology engaging transfer staff, clinicians, and stakeholders to refine and facilitate the adoption of a standardized IHT protocol for transferring patients with neurovascular emergencies. METHODS: This was a qualitative study using a phenomenological approach. Participants consisted of IHT call center staff members, neurointensivists, neurosurgeons, and emergency physicians. We conducted a standardized telephone-based simulation case to prime participants for feedback on their experiences with IHT for intracranial hemorrhage patients. Facilitators conducted focus groups immediately after the simulation to identify process improvement opportunities. A structured thematic analysis identified overarching concepts from the data. RESULTS: We achieved data saturation with 7 simulations and a total of 24 participants. Thematic analysis identified 3 IHT-specific themes: (1) challenges unique to multispecialty critical illness, (2) interdisciplinary relationships and dynamics, and (3) communication and information processing for IHT. Three quality improvement initiatives emerged from the debriefings: standardized communication checklist, early acceptance protocol, and structure for telephone-based care handoffs. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate the use of telephone-based simulation technology to identify potential pitfalls and accelerate the adoption of a new IHT protocol for patients with nontraumatic intracranial hemorrhage. New quality improvement strategies can organically result through interprofessional debriefings for patients with potentially complex handoffs between hospitals.

Just-in-time clinical video review improves successful placement of Sengstaken-Blakemore tube by emergency medicine resident physicians: A randomized control simulation-based study.

OBJECTIVE: Successful completion of life-saving procedures may benefit from a concise just-in-time (JIT) intervention. Video is an optimal medium for JIT training, but currently available video-based references are not optimized for a JIT format, especially in time-pressured situations prior to high-risk clinical contexts. We aimed to create and evaluate the efficacy of a brief video review of emergent Sengstaken-Blakemore tube (SBT) insertion for acutely decompensating variceal hemorrhage when used just prior to clinical performance in a simulated setting. METHODS: We created a less than 3-minute audio-optional JIT training video on SBT insertion. We recruited emergency medicine resident physicians to participate in a simulation scenario in which they had to quickly place an SBT. Participants were randomized to either a 3-minute procedure review by any media they chose (control) or review of the JIT video (intervention). Performance on a checklist created by a multidisciplinary group of SBT experts (passing score > 18 and maximum = 28) served as the primary outcome. We analyzed performance in checklist scores controlling level of training through a one-way analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). We analyzed rates of passing scores via a chi-square analysis. RESULTS: We randomized 32 participants to media review (control) or JIT video (intervention). The intervention group had an overall mean (±SD) performance of 19.8 (±9.0) and the control group had a mean (±SD) score of 6.6 (±7.4). After adjusting for postgraduate year, we found a significant difference in final checklist scores between the two groups (mean difference = 12.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 7.6 to 18.0). Percentages of participants reaching a minimum passing score were two of 16 (12.5%) in the control group and 10 of 16 (62.5%) in the intervention group (odds ratio = 11.7, 95% CI = 9.9 to 13.5). Cohen's kappa indicated substantial agreement (κ = 0.714) between reviewer scores. CONCLUSIONS: A readily available, focused, audio-optional JIT video increased performance for SBT insertion in a simulated setting. Future work may include testing of this format for more commonly performed emergency procedures and determination of effect on bedside performance in the clinical setting.

Supporting the Quadruple Aim Using Simulation and Human Factors During COVID-19 Care.

The health care sector has made radical changes to hospital operations and care delivery in response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. This article examines pragmatic applications of simulation and human factors to support the Quadruple Aim of health system performance during the COVID-19 era. First, patient safety is enhanced through development and testing of new technologies, equipment, and protocols using laboratory-based and in situ simulation. Second, population health is strengthened through virtual platforms that deliver telehealth and remote simulation that ensure readiness for personnel to deploy to new clinical units. Third, prevention of lost revenue occurs through usability testing of equipment and computer-based simulations to predict system performance and resilience. Finally, simulation supports health worker wellness and satisfaction by identifying optimal work conditions that maximize productivity while protecting staff through preparedness training. Leveraging simulation and human factors will support a resilient and sustainable response to the pandemic in a transformed health care landscape.

Virtual Telesimulation for Medical Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

PROBLEM: In March 2020, the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) became a global pandemic. Medical schools around the United States faced difficult decisions, temporarily suspending hospital-based clerkship rotations for medical students due to potential shortages of personal protective equipment and a need to social distance. This decision created a need for innovative, virtual learning opportunities to support undergraduate medical education. APPROACH: Educators at Yale School of Medicine developed a novel medical student curriculum converting high-fidelity, mannequin-based simulation into a fully online virtual telesimulation format. By using a virtual videoconferencing platform to deliver remote telesimulation as an immersive educational experience for widely dispersed students, this novel technology retains the experiential strengths of simulation-based learning while complying with needs for social distancing during the pandemic. The curriculum comprises simulated clinical scenarios that include live patient actors; facilitator interactions; and real-time assessment of vital signs, labs, and imaging. Each 90-minute session includes 2 sets of simulation scenarios and faculty-led teledebriefs. A team of 3 students performs the first scenario, while an additional team of 3 students observes. Teams reverse roles for the second scenario. OUTCOMES: The 6-week virtual telesimulation elective enrolled the maximum 48 medical students and covered core clinical clerkship content areas. Communication patterns within the virtual telesimulation format required more deliberate turn-taking than normal conversation. Using the chat function within the videoconferencing platform allowed teams to complete simultaneous tasks. A nurse confederate provided cues not available in the virtual telesimulation format. NEXT STEPS: Rapid dissemination of this program, including online webinars and live demonstration sessions with student volunteers, supports the development of similar programs at other universities. Evaluation and process improvement efforts include planned qualitative evaluation of this new format to further understand and refine the learning experience. Future work is needed to evaluate clinical skill development in this educational modality.

Virtual Mentoring: Two Adaptive Models for Supporting Early-career Simulation Investigators in the Era of Social Distancing.

BACKGROUND: Early-career simulation investigators identify limited mentorship as a common barrier to disseminating scholarship and launching a successful academic career in emergency medicine (EM). Conferences often bridge this gap, but the COVID-19 pandemic has forced their indefinite delay. Virtual solutions are needed to capitalize on the breadth of national simulation research experts and grow mentorship in a postpandemic world. METHODS: We developed two complementary innovations to facilitate scholarship development and minimize COVID-associated career challenges resulting from social distancing requirements. The e-fellows forum (FF) provides a capstone experience for works-in-progress and the e-consultation service (CS) supports simulation research during the earlier project stages of design and development. In conjunction with the Society for Academic Medicine's Simulation Academy, we applied videoconferencing technology for both of these novel, virtual innovations. We analyzed corresponding chat transcripts and detailed field notes for emerging themes. In addition, we collected quantitative data via participant surveys regarding their experiences and impact on their projects. RESULTS: Nine simulation fellows presented at the FF and seven junior simulation investigators participated in the CS sessions. Most preferred the virtual format (56% FF, 66% CS) and found the sessions to be helpful in project advancement (66% FF, 100% CS). COVID-19 affected most projects (89% FF, 67% CS). We identified three themes via qualitative analysis: design concerns and inquiries, validation or support shown by mentors and peers, and professional cohesion. CONCLUSIONS: Participants felt that both virtual mentorship innovations advanced their simulation research projects and fostered a sense of professional cohesion within a greater community of practice. These benefits can be powerful at a time where simulation researchers in EM feel disconnected in an era of social distancing. Our future work will include adaptations to a hybrid model with both virtual and in-person modalities as well as creation of more e-mentorship opportunities, thus broadening the early-career simulation research community of practice.

A Novel Application of the Modified Angoff Method to Rate Case Difficulty in Simulation-Based Research.

INTRODUCTION: Simulation use in research is often limited by controlling for scenario difficulty when using repeated measures. Our study assesses the feasibility of the Modified Angoff Method to reach expert consensus regarding difficulty of medical simulations. We compared scores with participant physiologic stress. METHODS: Emergency medicine physicians with expertise in simulation education were asked to review 8 scenarios and estimate the percentage of resident physicians who would perform all critical actions using the modified Angoff method. A standard deviation (SD) of less than 10% of estimated percentage correct signified consensus. Twenty-five residents then performed the 6 scenarios that met consensus and heart rate variability (HRV) was measured. RESULTS: During round 1, experts rated 4/8 scenarios within a 10% SD for postgraduate year 3 (PGY3) and 3/8 for PGY4 residents. In round 2, 6/8 simulation scenarios were within an SD of 10% points for both years. Intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.84 for PGY3 ratings and 0.89 for PGY4 ratings. A mixed effects analysis of variance showed no significant difference in HRV change from rest to simulation between teams or scenarios. Modified Angoff Score was not a predictor of HRV (multiple R2 = 0.0176). CONCLUSIONS: Modified Angoff ratings demonstrated consensus in quantifying the estimated percentage of participants who would complete all critical actions for most scenarios. Although participant HRV did decrease during the scenarios, we were unable to significantly correlate this with ratings. This modified Angoff method is a feasible approach to evaluate simulation difficulty for educational and research purposes and may decrease the time and resources necessary for scenario piloting.

Addressing Workplace Safety in the Emergency Department: A Multi-Institutional Qualitative Investigation of Health Worker Assault Experiences.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to identify interventions to address workplace violence in the emergency department based on direct evidence from experiences of patient assault. METHODS: We performed de novo coding and thematic analysis of datasets from two geographically distinct institutions and five different sites that contained interviews with 80 health workers. RESULTS: We identified concepts that corresponded to the micro (workers and patients), meso (organizations and clinical units), and macro (society at large, worldviews, and values) levels of the healthcare system. Within each level, potential interventions fell into the prevention, response, and recovery phases of emergency preparedness. CONCLUSION: Efforts to address workplace violence should consider interconnected influences from individual workers, organizations, and society at large. Comprehensive approaches at multiple phases of preparedness are needed to have sustained impact on safety.

An Interprofessional Simulation-Based Orientation Program for Transitioning Novice Nurses to Critical Care Roles in the Emergency Department: Pilot Implementation and Evaluation.

BACKGROUND: The emergency department (ED) relies on high-functioning teams to deliver consistent and safe patient care. Experts recommend that both emergency physicians and ED nurses participate in team training. However, there are currently no nationally accepted curricula for either profession to embed this training in their professional development, particularly for health workers who are novice or transitioning into critical care roles. METHODS: An interprofessional educator team designed and embedded a series of simulation scenarios within a novel orientation program for novice nurses transitioning to critical care roles in the ED to teach clinical and teamwork skills for conjoint groups of resident physician and novice nurse learners. The team created four interprofessional simulations to represent the acuity and breadth of patient populations in the ED critical care bays. INTERVENTION/REFINEMENT: To date, the team has conducted 24 two-week orientation sessions for 48 nurses and 51 resident physicians. Overall mean scores for the Debriefing Assessment for Simulation in Healthcare (DASH) instrument from nursing participants in the first 18 sessions were high. Qualitative evaluation data from both nurses and physicians demonstrated a positive impact of the simulations and provided insight into respective roles, identities, and priorities across professions. Participant feedback led to iterative steps in refinement of the simulations, including adjustments in debriefings and logistics of the orientation program. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: A team-based interprofessional simulation program was found to be feasible and acceptable for practicing novice physicians and nurses as part of a nursing critical care orientation program in the ED. Future work will assess the program's long-term impact on teamwork and safety in the actual clinical environment.