Advanced Trauma Life Support ATLS Student Course Manual 2018

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APPENDIX E n ATLS and Trauma Team Resource Management
the team, but there are ways for individuals to assist.
Everyone concerned with trauma care can help ensure
that ATLS® newcomers are integrated into the team as
positively as possible, not only for optimal patient care
but also to contribute to the ongoing development of
care provision through ATLS® teamwork.
highly stressful experiences can play a role in forming
a provider’s identity and determining how he or she
functions in future teamwork. Adverse effects can
result from novices’ experiences in new teams, so the
whole team benefits from ensuring that newcomers
are well integrated into the team.
The ATLS® Team Member
It is important for ATLS® team members to understand
what an ATLS® team does, the role of the team
leader, roles of team members, structure of the team
approach, application of ATLS® in the team, effective
communication strategies, and common pitfalls
of teamwork.
General guidelines for ATLS® team members include:
1. Team members do not act in isolation. However
brief the preparation time is, each person should
be introduced by name and role on the team.
For example, “Hello, my name is Sanya. I work
for the on-call surgical team. I can help with the
primary survey, but especially with circulation
problems.” Suddenly arriving and joining the
team without an introduction can confuse and
even alienate other team members.
2. Be aware and honest about your competencies,
and never hesitate to ask for help. If the team
leader asks you to perform a procedure that you
feel uncomfortable doing, speak up and ask
for assistance.
3. Understand the impact of your behavior on
other members of the team. Arguing about
a clinical decision will negatively affect
team functioning.
4. When you do not agree with what is happening,
calmly and reasonably voice your concerns.
Everyone is entitled to an opinion, and a good
team leader listens to everyone in the team
before making important clinical decisions.
5. Trust the team leader and other team members.
Everyone is working in a stressful situation and
wants what is best for the patient. Every team
member deserves respect, regardless of role.
Trust is an essential factor in the efficacy of a team,
although it may be more difficult to establish in teams
that do not regularly work together. Furthermore,
early clinical experiences affect identity development,
which in turn can affect social participation in teams.
Emotional responses and the meanings we attribute to
Responsibilities of Team Members
Individual team members are responsible for being
available to respond to a request for a trauma team.
Key responsibilities of ATLS® team members include
preparation, receiving the handover, assessing and
managing the patient, and participating in the afteraction
review.
Preparing for the Patient
As a team member, ensure you are aware of your
roles, responsibilities, and resources. Become
familiar with the layout of the resuscitation room
and the location of resources. Recognize that you are
responsible for your own safety and ensure you are
always protected against infection hazard by using
universal precautions.
Receiving the Handover
Typically, the prehospital team will hand over to the
team leader, who ensures that information is rapidly
accessible to all team members. When directed to do so
by the team leader, team members may begin assessing
the patient during handover. When the prehospital
team is handing over to the entire team, it is vital for
team members to listen to this handover and keep noise
level to a minimum so everyone can clearly hear the
prehospital team.
Assessing and Managing the Patient
All team members should promptly and effectively
perform their assigned roles. Assess the patient in
accordance with ATLS® principles and communicate
your findings directly to the team leader, ensuring
that the team leader has heard the information. Team
members may be asked to perform certain procedures
by the team leader or may be directed to further assess
the patient. Team members who are performing
interventions should keep the team leader aware of
their progress and inform the team leader immediately
of any difficulties encountered.
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