“Doctor, please”: Educating Nurses to Speak Up With Interactive Digital Simulation Tablets

Abstract

Background: Courses are developed to train on open communication. This study focuses on speaking-up for scrub nurses. Method: The scenario is implemented on digital tablets, with vignettes involving problematic behaviours of a colleague with the same or different status. The nurses (N = 33) were asked whether they would point out the error, whether they would be embarrassed, and how they would do it. Results: Nurses expressed greater embarrassment with a colleague of a different status. This is confirmed by their phrasing and the strategies they reported when speaking to the surgeon. Conclusion: The scenario was well accepted and could be used to train other health professionals.