Premium
The introduction and the validation of a surgical encounter template to facilitate surgical coaching of gynaecologists at a metropolitan tertiary obstetrics and gynaecology hospital
Author(s) -
Leung Yee,
Salfinger Stuart,
Tan Jason JitSun,
Frazer Amanda
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of obstetrics and gynaecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.734
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1479-828X
pISSN - 0004-8666
DOI - 10.1111/ajo.12116
Subject(s) - coaching , medicine , psychomotor learning , medical education , credentialing , nursing , psychology , cognition , psychiatry , psychotherapist
At a metropolitan tertiary obstetrics and gynaecology hospital some gynaecologists identified a need for surgical coaching. Full‐time specialists in a teaching hospital are expected to teach surgery whilst having limited access to improving their own surgical skills. Over time, this resulted in some degree of technical deskilling. This in turn led to a loss of confidence in their technical ability to perform complex procedures. The trainee was potentially taught surgery by gynaecologists who were not confident in some aspects of their own surgical skill. Methods A pilot program was introduced to validate a structured surgical encounter template to facilitate surgical coaching in a dedicated regular operating list. Results There was a high degree of satisfaction amongst participants in the program. Learning objectives were predominantly related to acquisition of psychomotor skills, but cognitive and affective skills were also identified. Participants felt they gained confidence and improved their surgical skill as a result of the program. The descriptive feedback validated the structured encounter template in facilitating the learning and teaching environment in the operating room. Most participants expressed an intention to adopt a more structured approach in their surgical teaching. Discussion A structured surgical coaching template used in a surgical coaching program facilitated short‐term self‐perceived improvement in surgical skill and confidence. Participants also expressed an intention to introduce a more structured approach in their teaching. The structured programme using the encounter template may have a potential role in remediating a surgeon identified as an outlier by a credentialing body.