Grant: CIHR Fellowship

More than one million children yearly die from road traffic accidents, violence, and other injuries. Pediatric trauma is also Canada's number one child killer above the age of one year. This reality is compounded by complications during the hospital care of these children - most errors in pediatric trauma care are still the result of inadequate behavioral skills among healthcare providers. My research aims at improving communication, situation awareness, teamwork, and decision-making - the so-called non-technical or behavioral skills - in health care students. Despite their importance, these skills have not been formally taught in Canadian surgical departments. We have assembled a group of experts to help us develop an educational framework able to teach such skills and unlock the students' full potential. We will test this framework in the simulation lab, where educators can observe students' behaviors and actions, such as their ability to lead, work and cope under pressure - all without the risk of harming real patients. Our research study will set a new landmark in health sciences education - the mastery of leadership skills among medical students. Following the successful completion of this study, we will distribute this innovative framework to universities across the country. The proposed intervention is designed for the most stressful situation in health care, an injured child. It requires strong emotional intelligence to deal with an extreme situation, support families, and treat multiple damaged organs. These skills and the educational framework underpinning them are readily translatable to other medical specialties and healthcare sectors.