Emergency Resuscitation team roles: What constitutes a team and who’s looking after the family?

Abstract

Aim of study: This study aimed to investigate the attitudes of personnel working in emergency departments on the constitution of a resuscitation team in particular the perceptions of the family liaison role. Methods:A paper base survey on family presence during resuscitation was distributed to emergency personnel working in 18 public departments in the state of Victoria, Australia.Results: A combination of nurses (n = 282) and doctors (n = 65) working in rural and metropolitan emergency departments, identified seven unique resuscitation team roles. Resuscitation teams were identified as comprising of three doctors, three nurses and one other which could be either. Respondents identified seven unique roles as consisting of a team leader, airway doctor, airway nurse, procedure doctor and procedure nurse, drugs nurse and a scribe. The respondents identified the following components as key to discussions with family members; emergency personnel, reassurance, diagnosis, regular updates, intervention, and prognosis (ER-DRIP). Conclusion:The acronym ER-DRIP can be used as a reminder to emergency staff when speaking with family members during resuscitation events ensuring they receive all the necessary information and support.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Practices in the Netherlands: Results from a nationwide survey

“…Furthermore they reported that 55% of the physicians in the CPR team had a specialist qualification [21]. A survey conducted in the UK, reported the team leader is in 73-82% of cases represented by an emergency consultant [23]. In the present study we found comparable results: in the roles of team leader, airway manager and circulation manager the participation of residents and medical specialist was almost equally distributed.…”

Family Presence During Resuscitation (FPDR): Observational case studies of emergency personnel in Victoria, Australia

“…Existing literature around FPDR is still inconclusive as to the team's position and actual practice in application. Although various policies have been written around family presence at these events, based on the benefits for both the family and the patient [10,16], in many cases there is still ambiguity around implementing them and confusion still exists among the resuscitation team members [20,21]. Emergency personnel in one phenomenological study, noted that a number of perceived barriers still exist, including fear and concern about exposure of professional practice and decision making [21].…”

“…A separate care coordinator role, who is assigned to care for the family and not take part in the resuscitation has been well documented as essential to the successful implementation of FPDR [7,16]. The care coordinator is responsible for assessing the family's appropriateness, based on coping, co-operative behaviours and perceived emotional readiness to be present in the resuscitation room while providing comfort measures and addressing any ongoing concerns [7].…”

“…Many larger metropolitan (urban) departments have instigated a care coordinator role or family liaison [16,8,5] who is responsible for the care of family during resuscitation events. However, the personnel assuming this role, are often from a non-nursing background and have therefore limited knowledge about the clinical aspects of the resuscitation, possible treatment plans, prognosis and or long term effects of the resuscitation event.…”

Dynamic nurse leadership in high-pressure situations

“…Resuscitation, non-technical skills, human factors, leadership, work ED staff suggest that, during resuscitative care episodes, roles and responsibilities form a hierarchy (Porter et al 2014), which is reflected in resuscitation team assessment. This suggests that team dynamics are informed by individuals' perceptions of their roles (McKay et al 2012).…”