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Developing situational awareness (‘helicopter view’)
Author(s) -
Yoong Wai,
PatraDas Sayantana,
Jeffers Neil,
Nauta Maud,
Lodhi Wasim
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
the obstetrician and gynaecologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1744-4667
pISSN - 1467-2561
DOI - 10.1111/tog.12709
Subject(s) - situation awareness , comprehension , situational ethics , confidentiality , psychology , medicine , mental health , medical education , medical emergency , applied psychology , social psychology , computer security , psychiatry , computer science , engineering , programming language , aerospace engineering
Key contents Reports such as Each Baby Counts and the Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Deaths and Morbidity increasingly recognise that human factors contribute to significant events such as hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy and maternal deaths. Loss of situational awareness (SA) has been implicated in at least 50% of such cases. A clinician’s SA involves information gathering, comprehension of data in real time and developing the crucial skills to project ahead and anticipate potential errors and threats. Good communication and shared mental models are important to maximise team SA in theatre, clinic and the labour ward.Learning objectives To understand the concept of SA. To appreciate how SA can be lost and to recognise the ‘red flag’ signs for this. To learn practical tips on how to maintain SA in day‐to‐day clinical practice.