Building Resilience in Anesthesia Teams

In healthcare, team resilience means that a group of providers and other professionals can maintain a high standard of patient care while adapting, responding, and recovering from challenges, stressors, and difficult situations. Resilience is essential for anesthesia care teams working in the OR due to their work’s delicate, intricate and life-saving nature. Here, we’ll explore strategies healthcare executives can use to foster resilience in the anesthesia department.

The Pillars of Resilience in Healthcare Teams

Improving resilience in healthcare teams is vital to fostering job satisfaction and employee retention.

At CCI Anesthesia, we believe in providing you with anesthesia professionals who put the patient first. “Our expectation is that we will meet the patient care needs at your site until the work is completed for the day. This isn’t shift work. We can’t always leave at 3 pm, 4 pm, or 5 pm just because cases are ‘supposed to be done.’ We will stay until the work is done—happily,” says CCI Executive Vice President Nathan Yoder.

Critical components of resilience in healthcare include:

• Adaptability: In the OR, anesthesia teams must quickly adapt to changing patient circumstances, using the available resources to find solutions that improve patient outcomes.
• Teamwork: A collaborative culture requires strong relationships, peer support,and a sense of purpose that unites care providers.
• Leadership: Strong leadership is essential to creating a resilient team. Anesthesia care teams need leaders who provide support, guidance, motivation and expertise, all while making quick, informed, effective decisions in a crisis.

Recognizing the Signs of a Non-Resilient Team

Careers in anesthesia can be stressful, and it’s important to recognize signs of a struggling, non-resilient team.

Common symptoms of burnout and stress among members of an anesthesia team include:

• Depersonalization (care providers develop negative attitudes toward patients and colleagues and may treat others as objects instead of people)
• Lack of enthusiasm at work
• Reduced sense of accomplishment
• Memory problems
• Withdrawal from social interactions (for example, a provider who used to eat lunch with others becomes withdrawn)
• Conflict among team members
• Communication breakdowns in the OR

Leadership Strategies for Fostering Team Resilience

All hope is not lost when an anesthesia care team struggles to work as a cohesive unit. Team leaders can start the resiliency-building process by transparently discussing with team members why the care team is experiencing difficulties.

Supportive leadership practices that can foster the development of a collaborative and supportive team environment include:

• recognizing achievements publicly
• addressing setbacks privately when possible
• establishing regular check-ins with team members
• encouraging collaboration by asking for ideas from all team members when possible
• working to address conflict quickly, honestly and respectfully

Training and Development for Resilience

Continuous professional development as a team can foster an environment of resilience. Scenario-based training can prepare teams for high-pressure situations. This also provides a bonding experience where providers can celebrate successes and strategize for team growth.

Tools for Managing Work-Related Stress

Structured debriefing sessions after critical incidents are crucial to helping teams develop resilience. In addition to meeting regularly to go over stressful incidents, it can be helpful for anesthesia professionals to participate in mindfulness techniques, such as:

• Mindful breathing
• Cognitive reframing
• Gratitude journaling
• Progressive muscle relaxation

Offering robust support systems comprised of peer support and mental health professionals can give anesthesia professionals the support necessary to serve as effective, contributing members of the care team.

Strengthening Team Cohesion

Team-building doesn’t have to be sitting in a circle and sharing fun facts about yourself (if that’s a good fit for your team, however, more power to you!).

Some ways to strengthen team cohesion that tend to work well in the OR include:

• Positive affirmations: At the start of each shift, saying a few affirmations such as, “I am making a difference” and “I will show kindness and empathy to every patient” can set the tone for positive teamwork.
• Care packages: Burnout is real in the healthcare system, and there’s no reason to wait for the holiday Secret Santa program for team members to care for one another. Creating care packages that include snacks, notes of gratitude, or a coffee gift card can go a long way in forming bonds within a team.
• Question of the day: Begin each shift with a question that allows team members to talk to one another as people—not just as coworkers. Questions like “What would you be doing if you weren’t at work right now?” or “What’s your dream vacation?” can add a sense of lightheartedness to the shift.

Support Your Anesthesia Team

Resiliency matters in the OR. Supporting your anesthesia teams by providing opportunities to strengthen their leadership skills and develop cohesive bonds can improve their job satisfaction and support positive patient outcomes. At CCI Anesthesia, we believe in the power of teamwork. We’d love to talk with you about how our anesthesia services can support a resilient ER. Reach out to our team today to learn more and schedule a consultation.