WIP 135 - Debriefing to Reduce Codes Outside the ICU: Implementation of an Acute Care Clinical Event Debriefing Training Program

Poster Number: WIP 135
Publication Number: WIP 135.2524

Background: Pediatric floor codes and emergent ICU transfers are rare events that are associated with increased morbidity and mortality among hospitalized patients. One valuable tool to identify areas of improvement to reduce codes outside of the ICU and emergent ICU transfers is clinical event debriefing. Debrief sessions provide structure and allow conversations to occur with an aim to foster a supportive, objective environment for healthcare teams to identify positive performance and areas to target for improvement. These sessions provide an emotional outlet for staff and may help prevent or mitigate burnout. Debriefing facilitators can be trained to structure these sessions and guide Interprofessional discussions.

Objective: As part of an emergency event review quality improvement initiative, this study aims to evaluate the development and implementation of a clinical event debriefing training program on acute care floors at a free-standing urban children’s hospital.

Design/Methods: Participants underwent debriefer training consisting of a didactic session reviewing debriefing frameworks including the Promoting Excellence and Reflective Learning in Simulation (PEARLS) Method and strategies for establishing psychological safety. This was followed by a practice session with simulated debriefings and feedback from expert faculty. Debriefers completed voluntary, anonymous surveys prior to the didactic training session, immediately following simulated practice sessions, and 12 months following program launch to assess the training curriculum and identify opportunities for process improvement and further professional development. Using a QR code, survey data was collected via a standardized form and uploaded to Qualtrics. This study received an exempt determination from our institution’s IRB.