Setting the stage for success

anaesthesia fellows) and consisted of didactic presentations, skill station practice, and high-fidelity simulation. We introduced CRM concepts, tools and tips including: (i) team structure, leadership and role assignment concepts; (ii) tools for briefing (e.g. SBAR Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) and team situational awareness (e.g. callouts and check-backs), and (iii) tips for creating shared mental models, solving problems and making decisions. Stations enabled practice in four essential tasks: (i) nasal fibreoptic intubation of an adult (NFIA); (ii) management of a difficult infant airway (MDIA); (iii) nasal fibreoptic intubation of an infant (NFII), and (iv) establishing a surgical airway (ESA). Participants were required to apply newly introduced airway skills and team concepts in a simulated operating room in which they addressed life-threatening airway emergencies using a high-fidelity infant simulation model (SimBaby ; Laerdal Medical Corp., Gatesville, TX, USA). Anaesthesia and intensive care unit trainees played their own roles during the simulation. Following the simulation, participants practised CRM debriefing skills: they reconstructed the events timeline from their various perspectives, and critiqued their own team performance using the metrics for assessing teamwork and leadership communication introduced during the workshop. Finally, they discussed ways to improve communication and team performance using CRM. Evaluation of results and impact Participants rated their confidence in performing the four tasks presented on a 10-point scale before and after the workshop and provided comments. Confidence increased across all skills, with large effect sizes: ESA (d = 0.95 [range: 0.07–1.83]; p = 0.006); NFII (d = 0.91 [range: 0.03–1.79]; p = 0.006); NFIA (d = 0.63 [range: ) 0.23 to 1.49]; p = 0.042), and MDIA (d = 0.55 [range: ) 0.30 to 1.40]; p = 0.074). The overall usefulness of the workshop was rated very highly (8.6) and participants reported finding the integration of CRM into an airway management workshop useful. Fellows’ ability to effectively manage airway emergencies as well as graduates’ reported confidence levels will be examined to assess the longterm benefits of this innovation.