Implementation of the TALK© clinical self-debriefing tool in operating theatres: a single-centre interventional study.

BACKGROUND: Debriefing in operating theatre environments leads to benefits in mortality, efficiency, productivity, and safety culture; however, it is still not regularly performed. TALK© is a simple and widely applicable team self-debriefing method to collaboratively learn and improve. METHODS: An interventional study introducing TALK© for voluntary clinical debriefing was carried out in operating theatre environments in a UK National Health Service hospital over 18 months. It explored compliance with the Five Steps to Safer Surgery and changes in behaviour in surgical teams regarding consideration and completion of debriefing. RESULTS: Team briefing and compliance with the WHO surgical safety checklist were performed consistently (>95% and >98%, respectively) throughout the study, which included 460 surgical lists. Consideration of debriefing increased at all data collection periods after intervention, from 35.6% to 60.3-97.4% (P≤0.003). Performance of debriefing, which was 23.3% at baseline, reached 39% at 6 months (P=0.039). Team planning of actions for improvement during debriefing also increased (P<0.001). A decline in performance of debriefing and subsequent improvement actions was observed after 6 months, albeit rates were above baseline at 18 months. The most reported reason not to carry out a debriefing was 'lack of issues'. After implementation, nurses and allied healthcare professionals increased their contribution to initiating and leading debriefing. Reported barriers were <18% at baseline, and decreased after intervention. CONCLUSIONS: A simple intervention introducing TALK© for voluntary debriefing in theatres prompted significant changes in team behaviour and sustained growth regarding consideration and performance of debriefing, especially in the first 6 months.

Optimising operating theatre (OT) efficiency while maintaining the standardised patient care in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) surgery with the dedicated spine team approach: a specialised spine unit experience.

PURPOSE: To report the efficiency of OT utilisation and perioperative outcomes with a dedicated spine team approach in AIS patients who underwent posterior spinal fusion (PSF) surgeries in a consecutive case operation list. METHODS: Three AIS patients operated in a day (8:00 AM-8:00 PM) by a dedicated spine team were recruited between 2021 and 2022. The dedicated team comprised of three senior spine consultants who operated using a dual attending surgeon strategy, an anaesthetic consultant, dedicated surgical scrub nurses, anaesthesiology nurses, radiographers, and neuromonitoring technicians. Patients were categorised according to the sequence of operation list of the day (Case 1, Case 2, and Case 3). OT efficiency was represented by OT time in five stages (preoperative time, operative time, postoperative time, total OT time, and turnover time). OT time and perioperative outcomes were compared. RESULTS: 102 cases were analysed. On average, Case 1 began at 8:38 AM whereas Case 3 ended by 5:54 PM. OT efficiency was consistent throughout the day of operation with comparable OT time in all five stages between groups (p > 0.05). The mean turnover time was 15.1 ± 13.5 min and the mean operative time was 123.0 ± 28.1 min. Intraoperative arterial blood gas (ABG) parameters were maintained in an optimal range. The complication rate was 2.0% (N = 2/102). CONCLUSION: Consistent OT efficiency was demonstrated with a dedicated spine team approach. Despite performing three AIS cases in a consecutive case operation list, patients' safety was not compromised as perioperative outcomes between groups were comparable.

[Organization of the emergency operating room]. / L'organisation au bloc opératoire des urgences.

The structure and organization of operating theatres vary from one healthcare facility to another. Some establishments have a multi-disciplinary operating theatre, with shared operating theatres and staff, while others have separate operating theatres, often divided by discipline. Emergencies are therefore dealt with in the operating theatres for scheduled surgery. However, some university hospitals also have emergency operating theatres.

Getting operating theatre metrics right to underpin quality improvement: understanding limitations of NHS Model Hospital calculations.

The Model Hospital is an NHS online resource summarising performance data for, amongst other things, operating theatres categorised by NHS Trust and specialty. As an official source of information, it might be assumed that metrics, such as 'average late start time', 'average early finish time', and 'average late finish time', are calculated in a way to reflect performance in these domains, but this is not the case. These values are, respectively, only for those lists that start late, finish early, and finish late, with the number of lists in each category unreported. The Model Hospital reports utilisation appropriately as 'touch time' (the time delivering anaesthesia and surgery) but prefers a 'capped' measure, in which any touch time occurring in late finishes is ignored. The Model Hospital aggregates utilisations across lists in a mathematically invalid way, which leads to the assumption that small aliquots of unused time on lists can be combined to create larger time blocks, in which to complete more operations. We present alternative, more intuitive, and mathematically conventional methods to derive performance metrics using the same data. The results have implications for hospitals developing their own dashboards and international organisations seeking to create national databases for operating theatre performance.

The ideal intravitreal injection setting: office, ambulatory surgery room or operating theatre? A narrative review and international survey.

PURPOSE: This study reviews evidence and provides recommendations for the ideal setting of intravitreal injection (IVI) administration of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors. METHODS: A multi-step approach was employed, including content analysis of regulations and guidelines, a systematic literature review, and an international survey assessing perioperative complications and endophthalmitis incidence in relation to injection settings. The literature review searched PubMed and Cochrane databases from 2006 to 2022, focusing on studies reporting correlations between complications and treatment settings. The survey utilized a web-based questionnaire distributed to clinical sites and the international ophthalmic community, with data managed using electronic capture tools. RESULTS: We reviewed regulations and guidelines from 23 countries across five continents, finding significant variation in IVI administration settings. In most countries, IVI is primarily administered in outpatient clean rooms (96%) or offices (39%), while in others, it is restricted to ambulatory surgery rooms or hospital-based operating theatres (4%). The literature review found that endophthalmitis risk after IVI is generally low (0.01% to 0.26% per procedure), with no significant difference between office-based and operating room settings. The international survey (20 centers, 96,624 anti-VEGF injections) found low overall incidences of severe perioperative systemic adverse events and endophthalmitis, independent of injection settings. CONCLUSION: No significant differences in perioperative complications were observed among various settings, including operating theatres, ambulatory surgery rooms, offices, hospitals, or extra-hospital environments. Choosing the appropriate clinical setting can optimize patient management, potentially increasing effectiveness, quality, productivity, and capacity.

Twelve tips for optimising learning for postgraduate doctors in the operating theatre.

Learning in the operating theatre forms a critical part of postgraduate medical education. Postgraduate doctors present a diverse cohort of learners with a wide range of learning needs that will vary by their level of experience and curriculum requirements. With evidence of both trainee dissatisfaction with the theatre learning experience and reduced time spent in the operating theatre, which has been exacerbated by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, it is vital that every visit to the operating theatre is used as a learning opportunity. We have devised 12 tips aimed at both learners and surgeons to optimise learning in the operating theatre, set out into four domains: educational context, preparation, learning in theatre, feedback and reflection. These tips have been created by a process of literature review and acknowledgment of established learning theory, with further discussion amongst surgical trainees, senior surgical faculty, surgical educators and medical education faculty.

A discrete event simulation for improving operating theatre efficiency.

BACKGROUND: Increasing demand in healthcare services has posed excessive burden on healthcare professionals and hospitals with finite capacity. Operating theatres are critical resources within hospitals that can become bottlenecks in patient flow during high demand conditions. There are substantial costs associated with running operating theatres that include keeping professional staff ready, maintaining operating theatres and equipment, environmental services and cleaning of operating theatres and recovery rooms, and these costs can increase if theatres are not used efficiently. In addition to cost, operating theatre inefficiency can result in surgery cancelations and delays, and eventually, poor patient outcomes, which can be exacerbated under the increase in demand. METHODS: The allocation of surgeries to operating theatres is explored using a simulation model for patients admitted to inpatient beds and sent for surgery. We proposed a discrete event simulation (DES) to model incoming flow to operating theatres of a major metropolitan hospital. We assessed how changing the configuration of surgery at the target hospital affects Key Performance Indicators relating to theatre efficiency. In particular, the model was used to assess impacts of six different scenarios by defining new/hypothetical theatre case-mix, opening and closing times of theatres, turnaround (changeover) time, and repurposing the theatres. Target performance metrics included theatre utilisation, pre-operative length-of-stay, average reclaimable time, the percentage of total theatre time in a year that could be reclaimed, and patient waiting time. A web-based application was developed that allows testing user-defined scenarios and interactive analysis of the results. RESULTS: Extending the opening hours of operating theatres by 1 hour almost halved the number of deferred electives as well as over-run cases but at the expense of reduced theatre utilisation. A one-hour reduction in opening hours resulted in 10 times more deferred elective cases and a negligible increase in theatre utilisation. Reducing turnaround time by 50% had positive effects on theatre management: increased utilisation and less deferred and over-run elective cases. Pooling emergency theatres did not affect theatre utilisation but resulted in a considerable reduction in average wait time and the proportion of the delayed emergency cases. CONCLUSIONS: The developed DES-based simulation model of operating theatres along with the web-based user interface provided a useful interrogation tool for theatre management and hospital executive teams to assess new operational strategies. The next step is to embed simulation as ongoing practices in theatre planning workflow, allowing operational managers to use the model outputs to increase theatre utilisation, and reduce cancellations and schedule changes. This can support hospitals in providing services as efficiently and effectively as possible.

Mediating effects of social support, mental health between stress overload, fatigue and turnover intention among operating theatre nurses.

BACKGROUND: The high rate of nurses turnover and nursing staff shortage have been an ongoing concern issue and a challenge for global health systems. To explore the turnover intention among operating theatre nurses, and to test the hypothetical model for estimating the effects of stress overload and fatigue between social support, mental health and turnover intention. DESIGN: a multi-center and cross-sectional online survey. METHODS: This study was conducted from October 2020 to March 2021 comprised 1060 operating theatre nurses from 76 Chinese hospitals. The descriptive analysis, independent sample t test and one-way analysis of variance and Spearman correlation analysis were used to explore the relationships among variables by the SPSS software, and stepwise multiple linear regression analysis was utilized to identify influencing factors of turnover intention and its dimensions among operating theatre nurses. A structural equation model was analyzed by the AMOS software. RESULTS: Social support, mental health, stress overload and fatigue were important predictors of turnover intention among operating theatre nurses. Besides, stress overload positively affected fatigue, mental health and turnover intention; fatigue negatively affected social support, however, fatigue positively affected mental health; social support negatively affected mental health and turnover intention; mental health positively affected turnover intention. Moreover, social support, mental health mediated between stress overload, fatigue and turnover intention among operating theatre nurses. CONCLUSION: Social support, mental health mediated between stress overload, fatigue and turnover intention among operating theatre nurses.

Job embeddedness and missed nursing care at the operating theatres: the mediating role of polychronicity.

BACKGROUND: Perioperative missed nursing care is a serious issue that can compromise patient safety and quality of care. However, little is known about the factors that influence perioperative missed nursing care. AIM: This study aimed to examine the effects of job embeddedness and polychronicity on perioperative missed nursing care as well as to test the mediating role of polychronicity on the relationship between job embeddeness and perioperative missed nursing care. METHOD: This was a cross-sectional correlational study that used a convenience sample of 210 operating room nurses from nine hospitals in Egypt. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires that measured job embeddedness, polychronicity, and perioperative missed nursing care. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized relationships among the variables. RESULTS: The findings demonstrated a significant negative and moderate association between missed perioperative care and both nurses' job embeddedness and polychronicity. Moreover, there was a moderately positive and significant correlation between polychronicity and job embeddedness. Path analysis revealed a significant positive causal effect between job embeddedness and polychronicity. The results of mediation revealed that the indirect effect of job embeddedness on missed care through polychronicity was statistically significant; suggesting that polychronicity partially mediated this relationship. CONCLUSION: This study sheds light on the intricate relationship between nurses' job embeddedness, missed care, and polychronicity in the operating theater context. By enhancing job embeddedness and fostering polychronicity among nurses, healthcare organizations can reduce perioperative missed care and ultimately improve patient care outcomes in this critical healthcare setting.

Expanding the non-technical skills vocabulary of operating room nurses: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Operating room nurses have specialised technical and non-technical skills and are essential members of the surgical team. The profession's dependency of tacit knowledge has made their non-technical skills difficult to access for researchers, thus, creating limitations in the identification of the non-technical skills of operating room nurses. Non-technical skills are categorised in the crew resource management framework, and previously, non-technical skills of operating room nurses have been identified within the scope of the framework. The purpose of this study is to explore operating room nurses' descriptions of their practices in search for non-technical skills not included in the crew resource management framework. METHODS: This study has a qualitative design. An expert panel of experienced operating room nurses (N = 96) in Norway provided qualitative descriptions of their practice in a Delphi survey. The data were analysed in an inductive thematic analysis. This study was conducted and reported in line with Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR). RESULTS: The inductive thematic analysis developed two themes, 'Ethical competence' and 'Professional accountability', that encompass operating room nurses' novel descriptions of their non-technical skills. The participants take pride in having the patients' best interest as their main objective even if this may threaten their position in the team. CONCLUSIONS: This study has identified novel non-technical skills that are not described in the crew resource management framework. These findings will contribute to the development of a new behavioural marker system for the non-technical skills of operating room nurses. This system will facilitate verbalisation of tacit knowledge and contribute to an increased knowledge about the operating room nursing profession.

[Caregiving in an exceptional environment: the military operating theater nurse in a tropical zone]. / Soignant en milieu d'exception : l'infirmier de bloc opératoire militaire en zone tropicale.

The profession of operating theater nurse in the French Armed Forces Medical Corps is often little-known. Called upon to serve in mainland France, but also deployed on overseas operations, they provide medical and surgical support to the French armed forces. Personal qualities - human, physical and technical - are essential to adapt to the environmental constraints of this isolated post.

A graphical assessment of emergency surgical list efficiency to determine operating theatre capacity needs.

BACKGROUND: Unlike elective lists, full utilisation of an emergency list is undesirable, as it could prevent patient access. Conversely, a perpetually empty emergency theatre is resource wasteful. Separately, measuring delayed access to emergency surgery from time of booking the urgent case is relevant, and could reflect either deficiencies in patient preparation or be because of an occupied (over-utilised) emergency theatre. METHODS: We developed a graphical method recognising these two separate but linked elements of performance: (i) delayed access to surgery and (ii) operating theatre utilisation. In a plot of one against the other, data fell into one of four quadrants, with delays associated with high utilisation signifying the need for more emergency capacity. However, delays associated with low utilisation reflect process deficiencies in the emergency patient pathway. We applied this analysis to 73 consecutive lists (>300 cases) from two UK hospitals. RESULTS: Although both hospitals experienced similar rates of delayed surgery (21.8% vs 21.0%; P=0.872), in one hospital 83% of these were associated with low emergency theatre utilisation (suggesting predominant process deficiencies), whereas in the other 73% were associated with high utilisation (suggesting capacity deficiency; P<0.0001). Increasing emergency capacity in the latter resulted in shorter delays (just 6.7% cases excessively delayed; P<0.0001 for effect of intervention). CONCLUSIONS: This simple graphical analysis indicates whether more emergency capacity is necessary. We discuss potential applications in managing emergency surgery theatres.

Continuous real-time prediction of surgical case duration using a modular artificial neural network.

BACKGROUND: Real-time prediction of surgical duration can inform perioperative decisions and reduce surgical costs. We developed a machine learning approach that continuously incorporates preoperative and intraoperative information for forecasting surgical duration. METHODS: Preoperative (e.g. procedure name) and intraoperative (e.g. medications and vital signs) variables were retrieved from anaesthetic records of surgeries performed between March 1, 2019 and October 31, 2019. A modular artificial neural network was developed and compared with a Bayesian approach and the scheduled surgical duration. Continuous ranked probability score (CRPS) was used as a measure of time error to assess model accuracy. For evaluating clinical performance, accuracy for each approach was assessed in identifying cases that ran beyond 15:00 (commonly scheduled end of shift), thus identifying opportunities to avoid overtime labour costs. RESULTS: The analysis included 70 826 cases performed at eight hospitals. The modular artificial neural network had the lowest time error (CRPS: mean=13.8; standard deviation=35.4 min), which was significantly better (mean difference=6.4 min [95% confidence interval: 6.3-6.5]; P<0.001) than the Bayesian approach. The modular artificial neural network also had the highest accuracy in identifying operating theatres that would overrun 15:00 (accuracy at 1 h prior=89%) compared with the Bayesian approach (80%) and a naïve approach using the scheduled duration (78%). CONCLUSIONS: A real-time neural network model using preoperative and intraoperative data had significantly better performance than a Bayesian approach or scheduled duration, offering opportunities to avoid overtime labour costs and reduce the cost of surgery by providing superior real-time information for perioperative decision support.

The effect of overlapping surgical scheduling on operating theatre productivity: a narrative review.

This article reviews the background to overlapping surgery, in which a single senior surgeon operates across two parallel operating theatres; anaesthesia is induced and surgery commenced by junior surgeons in the second operating theatre while the lead surgeon completes the operation in the first. We assess whether there is any theoretical basis to expect increased productivity in terms of number of operations completed. A review of observational studies found that while there is a perception of increased surgical output for one surgeon, there is no evidence of increased productivity compared with two surgeons working in parallel. There is potential for overlapping surgery to have some positive impact in situations where turnover times between cases are long, operations are short (<2 h) and where 'critical portions' of surgery constitute about half of the total operation time. However, any advantages must be balanced against safety, ethical and training concerns.

Methods of the 7th National Audit Project (NAP7) of the Royal College of Anaesthetists: peri-operative cardiac arrest.

Cardiac arrest in the peri-operative period is rare but associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Current reporting systems do not capture many such events, so there is an incomplete understanding of incidence and outcomes. As peri-operative cardiac arrest is rare, many hospitals may only see a small number of cases over long periods, and anaesthetists may not be involved in such cases for years. Therefore, a large-scale prospective cohort is needed to gain a deep understanding of events leading up to cardiac arrest, management of the arrest itself and patient outcomes. Consequently, the Royal College of Anaesthetists chose peri-operative cardiac arrest as the 7th National Audit Project topic. The study was open to all UK hospitals offering anaesthetic services and had a three-part design. First, baseline surveys of all anaesthetic departments and anaesthetists in the UK, examining respondents' prior peri-operative cardiac arrest experience, resuscitation training and local departmental preparedness. Second, an activity survey to record anonymised details of all anaesthetic activity in each site over 4 days, enabling national estimates of annual anaesthetic activity, complexity and complication rates. Third, a case registry of all instances of peri-operative cardiac arrest in the UK, reported confidentially and anonymously, over 1 year starting 16 June 2021, followed by expert review using a structured process to minimise bias. The definition of peri-operative cardiac arrest was the delivery of five or more chest compressions and/or defibrillation in a patient having a procedure under the care of an anaesthetist. The peri-operative period began with the World Health Organization 'sign-in' checklist or first hands-on contact with the patient and ended either 24 h after the patient handover (e.g. to the recovery room or intensive care unit) or at discharge if this occured earlier than 24 h. These components described the epidemiology of peri-operative cardiac arrest in the UK and provide a basis for developing guidelines and interventional studies.

Daily surgery caseload prediction: towards improving operating theatre efficiency.

BACKGROUND: In many hospitals, operating theatres are not used to their full potential due to the dynamic nature of demand and the complexity of theatre scheduling. Theatre inefficiencies may lead to access block and delays in treating patients requiring critical care. This study aims to employ operating theatre data to provide decision support for improved theatre management. METHOD: Historical observations are used to predict long-term daily surgery caseload in various levels of granularity, from emergency versus elective surgeries to clinical specialty-level demands. A statistical modelling and a machine learning-based approach are developed to estimate daily surgery demand. The statistical model predicts daily demands based on historical observations through weekly rolling windows and calendar variables. The machine learning approach, based on regression algorithms, learns from a combination of temporal and sequential features. A de-identified data extract of elective and emergency surgeries at a major 783-bed metropolitan hospital over four years was used. The first three years of data were used as historical observations for training the models. The models were then evaluated on the final year of data. RESULTS: Daily counts of overall surgery at a hospital-level could be predicted with approximately 90% accuracy, though smaller subgroups of daily demands by medical specialty are less predictable. Predictions were generated on a daily basis a year in advance with consistent predictive performance across the forecast horizon. CONCLUSION: Predicting operating theatre demand is a viable component in theatre management, enabling hospitals to provide services as efficiently and effectively as possible to obtain the best health outcomes. Due to its consistent predictive performance over various forecasting ranges, this approach can inform both short-term staffing choices as well as long-term strategic planning.

Standardised handover process with checklist improves quality and safety of care in the postanaesthesia care unit: the Postanaesthesia Team Handover trial.

BACKGROUND: Miscommunication is a leading cause of preventable incidents in healthcare. A number of checklists have been created in an attempt to improve patient outcomes with only a small impact. However, the 2009 WHO Surgical Safety Checklist demonstrated benefits in terms of reduced morbidity and mortality. Our aim was to determine whether use of a Postanaesthesia Team Handover (PATH) checklist would reduce hypoxaemic events in the postanaesthesia care unit (PACU). METHODS: This single-centre, prospective, pre-/post-implementation study was conducted between February 2019 and July 2020 in the PACU of Versailles Private Hospital, Paris, France. Pre-PATH implementation data were collected for 294 consecutive adult patients (≥18 yr old) admitted to the PACU and post-PATH implementation data were collected for 293 consecutive patients. The primary outcome was the rate of hypoxaemic events post-surgery during PACU stay. RESULTS: The rates of hypoxaemic events were 4.1% (11/267 [95% confidence interval {CI}: 2.3-7.2%]) before the PATH checklist was introduced and 0.8% (2/266 [95% CI: 0.2-2.7%]) after. Patients in the PATH group were 5.6 times (odds ratio [OR] [95% CI: 1.3-33.6], P=0.041) less likely to have a hypoxaemic event than those in the control group. The handover process in the PATH checklist group also had significantly less interruptions (38.6% control vs 20.7% PATH; OR=2.5 [95% CI: 1.7-3.7]; P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of the PATH checklist in adult patients post-surgery was associated with a reduction in the rate of hypoxaemic events in the PACU. These findings support standardisation of the handover process with checklists following anaesthesia and surgery. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT03972423.

Measuring health professionals' beliefs about skin-to-skin care during a cesarean.

Women and their newborns are at risk of delayed or withheld skin-to-skin care (SSC) during a caesarean, which is about one-third of births, worldwide. To date, no instrument exists to assess health professionals' (HPs) beliefs, and potential barriers and strategies for implementing SSC during a cesarean. The study aims were to (1) develop an instrument, Health Professionals' Beliefs about Skin-to-Skin Care During a Cesarean (SSCB ), (2) establish its validity and reliability and (3) describe HPs' beliefs about SSC during a caesarean. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were used to test the SSCB and describe HPs' beliefs. SSCB analysis yielded a content validity of 0.83 and reliability of α = 0.9. We grouped all practice roles as either nurses or physicians. The mean rank score for nurses (n = 120, M = 90) was significantly higher (p = 0.001) than physicians (n = 46, M = 79). Despite this difference, scores for both roles reflected support for SSC. Participants identified hospital readiness to implement SSC and maintaining maternal and newborn safety as major issues. SSCB is a valid, reliable instrument to measure HPs' beliefs about SSC during a caesarean birth. HPs can use the SSCB during quality improvement initiatives to improve access to immediate SSC for women who have a caesarean birth. Improved access can enhance breastfeeding outcomes and promote optimal maternal and child health.

[Bleeding management in the operating theatre]. / Gestion du saignement au bloc opératoire.

Despite all the measures taken preoperatively, bleeding may persist and require surgical control. Before considering treatment, it is necessary to establish the diagnosis with the origin of the bleeding. The surgical procedure depends on the aetiology. There are many surgical options and adjuvant measures to consider. They should be known by the operating theatre nurse, who is a major player in surgical management. Successful control of bleeding requires quality multidisciplinary collaboration.

Challenging gender stereotypes and advancing inclusive leadership in the operating theatre.

Modern healthcare is delivered by interprofessional teams, and good leadership of these teams is integral to safe patient care. Good leadership in the operating theatre has traditionally been considered as authoritative, confident and directive, and stereotypically associated with men. We argue that this may not be the best model for team-based patient care and promote the concept of inclusive leadership as a valid alternative. Inclusive leadership encourages all team members to contribute to decision-making, thus engendering more team cohesion, information sharing and speaking up, and ultimately enhancing team effectiveness. However, the relational behaviours associated with inclusive leadership are stereotypically associated with women and may not in fact be recognised as leadership. In this article we provide evidence on the advantages of inclusive leadership over authoritative leadership and explore gender stereotypes and obstacles that limit the recognition of inclusive leadership. We propose that operating teams rise above gender stereotypes of leadership. Inclusive leadership can elicit maximum performance of every team member, thus realising the full potential of interprofessional healthcare teams to provide the best care for patients.