“Doctor, please”: Educating Nurses to Speak Up With Interactive Digital Simulation Tablets

Abstract

Background. Courses are developed to train on open communication. This study focuses on speaking-up for scrub nurses.Method. The scenario is implemented on digital tablets, with vignettes involving problematic behaviours of a colleague with the same or different status. The nurses (N = 33) were asked whether they would point out the error, whether they would be embarrassed, and how they would do it.Results. Nurses expressed greater embarrassment with a colleague of a different status. This is confirmed by their phrasing and the strategies they reported when speaking to the surgeon. Conclusion.The scenario was well accepted and could be used to train other health professionals.