PP16 Closing the loop to break the ice: improving communication through fun introductory activities

Abstract

Context Simulation-based education encourages a safe environment to learn both clinical management and non-technical skills. Group contribution to the debrief can be critical to this learning. However, participants on these courses may not be known to each other, and may come from a range of health disciplines and experiences. We utilised a series of activities in our courses prior to the simulation scenarios to ‘break the ice’ between participants and encourage both positive interaction and communication skills. Description Four of the icebreaker activities used in our simulation courses are listed below: ‘Drawing Board’ – participants form two teams; one having to describe an image on a hidden whiteboard to their colleagues, and the other having to draw an exact replica from the information given. The ‘Helium Stick’ – dividing into groups, the participants form two lines facing each other and support a stick between them before trying to lower it to the ground. The stick classically rises until the team devise a strategy and follow a single leader. ‘Catch the ball’ – the participants stand in a circle and throw an increasing number of balls between them without it falling to the floor. ‘Mr Potato Head’ – the team are briefly shown a slide of a ‘Mr Potato Head’ toy accessorised in a certain configuration, and asked to put the character back together to match the (now hidden) image. Observation/Evaluation 182 participants have participated in 38 paediatric courses using these ‘icebreaker’ tools in our local simulation centre (SimWard) between 2016–2019. The participants were often advised on how to use closed-loop communication to see how it affected the activity, followed by a short debriefing discussion. All participants reported finding all aspects of the course relevant to their learning and free-text feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Discussion Much like resuscitation teams, simulation courses bring together a variety of participants who form an ad hoc team and must develop shared models of communication.1 2 Communication ‘icebreakers’ serve not only as ideal introductions for new candidates to the environment and each other, but also to non-technical skills and as an educational session themselves. They are low-resource, and work well as brief teaching sessions in time-critical setting. Also, having multiple icebreaker activities available keeps the session novel for participants who attend multiple courses. References Hargestam M, et al. Communication in interdisciplinary teams: exploring closed-loop communication during in-situ trauma team training. BMJ Open 2013;3:e003525 Sherman JM, et al. Communication and teamwork barriers during resuscitation in a pediatric emergency department. Pediatrics 2018;141:342