SP 2.06 Novel Interdisciplinary Trauma Theatre Team Training: Simulation-Based Course
Pamela Adamowicz-Newman, Thomas Smith, Sabeena Qureshi, Kevin Tsang, Sadie Syed, Maryam Alfa-WaliAbstract
Background
Trauma care has seen significant advancements with the introduction of trauma teams. However, a critical gap exists in formal training for operating theatre teams. Existing resuscitation courses, such as Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS), excel in resuscitation room settings but neglect the specific needs of the operating theatre environment. Effective management of haemorrhagic shock requires seamless interdisciplinary teamwork, yet traditional training lacks integrated team-based approaches addressing both technical skills and non-technical factors affecting performance.
Aim
We developed a novel half-day trauma theatre team training course combining pedagogical teaching with progressive simulation exercises and high-fidelity scenarios for multidisciplinary teams managing a trauma patient in haemorrhagic shock.
Methods
The 4.5-hour course targeted anaesthetists, surgeons, critical care doctors, scrub and anaesthetic nurses, healthcare assistants, and operating theatre practitioners. The curriculum focused on enhancing interdisciplinary communication and teamwork, practising damage control surgery principles, and developing shared mental models across team roles. The course included interactive teaching sessions, team-based activities, and a simulated operating theatre session with a whole theatre team managing a blunt trauma patient, followed by structured debriefing.
Results
Between May and October 2025, two courses trained 25 multidisciplinary trauma theatre professionals. Participant feedback highlighted significant improvements in communication skills and team dynamics, with enhanced understanding of interdisciplinary roles and greater cohesion during high-stress haemorrhagic scenarios.
Conclusion
This innovative course addresses the identified training gap, providing effective and practical multidisciplinary trauma theatre team training with demonstrable improvements in critical non-technical skills.