“Exploring post resuscitation debriefing practices in acute hospital settings”.

Abstract

Background Current resuscitation guidelines outline the importance of engagement in post resuscitation debriefings to promote learning and practice improvement (Resuscitation Council UK 2015; European Resuscitation Council 2020). However, it is recognised that often formal debriefings do not occur following resuscitation events in the UK (Resuscitation Council UK 2020). This study aims to further explore post resuscitation debriefing practices in acute hospital settings. Literature review The literature review focussed on “Exploring the influence of debriefing on healthcare professionals’ non-technical skills and team performance in resuscitation management”. Overall, it identified that effective post resuscitation debriefing can improve non-technical skills and team performance, however barriers are identified which influence the effectiveness of this process. Further, a gap in the evidence is evident as limited research evidence is available which explores nursing specific experiences of post resuscitation debriefings. Research Proposal The research proposal aims to address this gap by exploring “Nurses’ experiences of post resuscitation debriefings in acute settings”. The overarching aim of this study is to gain an understanding of nurses’ experiences of cardiopulmonary resuscitations, specifically, post resuscitation debriefings in acute areas. Methods This study will utilise a descriptive phenomenological approach. Ten individual audio recorded semi-structured interviews will be conducted with participants gathered through purposive sampling who meet eligibility criteria. Interviews and field notes will be analysed using a rigorous seven step descriptive phenomenological method (Colaizzi 1978). Conclusion This study will recognise and present the lived experiences and voices of nursing staff involved in resuscitation management. Findings from this study could be used to enhance post resuscitation debriefing practices, with the potential to improve performances in future resuscitation events thus maximising patient outcomes.