The Operating Theatre Journal - Journal - Page 14
The Surgical Education Checklist
as a tool to improve teaching within the
Operating Theatre
Dr E P Redman
Background
The number of hours a surgical trainee spends in the operating theatre over their training years has reduced.1,2
This, coupled with novel challenges affecting training such as the COVID-19 pandemic,3 means we need to ensure all learning opportunities
are maximised.
For this to happen, training has to be “active, planned and of high quality”,4 with every case being utilised as a learning opportunity.
The Surgical Safety Checklist was introduced to the global surgical community by the World Health Organisation (WHO) with an intention to
reduce surgical morbidity and mortality 6 and it has been effective in doing so.7,8
In addition to the checklist, a briefing at the start of the day and debriefing at the end of the day are advocated to improve teamwork and
overall save time.9
The Surgical Education Checklist
The Surgical Education Checklist is an easy to use tool developed to help encourage education focused discussions in order to promote and
exploit learning opportunities within the operating theatre.
It is founded in educational theory and has been designed to piggy-back onto the already established routines of briefings and checklists.
The tool is largely self-explanatory and its use can be initiated by either trainer or trainee.
It provides a framework of important learning moments throughout the day.
The checklist establishes the goals of both trainer and trainee at the start of the day and importantly, prompts regular, contemporaneous
feedback.
Conclusion
As a profession, we need to ensure that the teaching opportunities in the operating theatre are maximised, by moving away from a
discovery model of learning 1 towards guided discovery learning, which complements deliberate practice.2
The Surgical Education Checklist has been designed with this in mind.
Patient safety will always be our first priority, and there is no excuse not to perform the WHO Safety Checklist.
After patient safety, education should be our next priority and as Lund 4 put it; “there is no excuse not to train”.
Twitter: @poppy_redman
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9. HQSC. Checklists, briefings and debriefings. An evidence summary www.hqsc.govt.nz: Health Quality & Safety Commission New Zealand;
2016.
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