The UNC surgical community’s third Annual Teamwork Event is geared toward improving safety, efficiency and teamwork in ORs, and culminates with a virtual safety pledge.
he surgical community continues their tradition to collectively commit to safety even amid this era of physical distancing. Each year, nurses, technologists, assistants, residents, students, surgeons and anesthesiologists, unite to publicly declare their dedication to patient safety and their commitment to each other. This year, participants gathered virtually to hear from an invited speaker, Dr. Anthony Orsini, Medical Director of the NICU at the Winnie Palmer Hospital in Orlando, Florida. He spoke about enhancing inter-professional teamwork through better communication. UNC Health’s Drs. Wesley Burks and Matt Ewend also shared messages, contributing to the event’s themes of improving safety and teamwork culture, improving the ability to work together to achieve a common goal, and helping every teammate understand their important roles and value of their contributions.
While participants were unable to recite the Safety-Efficiency-Teamwork pledge in person, a video was played to allow for virtual participation. The pledge states: “Safety – I will put our patient’s safety above all other concerns. I will Speak up, Listen, and Stop the Line if our patient’s safety is at risk. Efficiency – I will perform my duties to meet the mutual expectations of my inter-dependent teammates. I will be a responsible steward of our shared resources. Teamwork – I will assume the best intentions from my teammates. I will always communicate respectfully.”