Every year on 16th October, anaesthesia professionals the world over celebrate and highlight the vital role that anaesthesia plays in global health.
To mark the Year of Health and Care Workers 2021, this World Anaesthesia Day we want to celebrate the skills and attributes of those who we work alongside and rely on. We call on the anaesthesia community to tell the world about the teams and teammates they work with, and what attributes for effective teamwork.
Why teamwork?
Anaesthesiologists are at the forefront of clinical teams.
Available in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese
Multidisciplinary teams improve patient experience, safety, productivity, and enhance the working lives of all involved.
Teamwork requires skills that include leadership, communication, mutual monitoring, and giving and receiving feedback.
Building our teamwork skills
It is not enough to demand that we work as a team. We need to practice and perfect the team structure.
- Good teamwork leads to improved patient outcomes, increased staff satisfaction and a reduced incidence of burnout.
- Bad teamwork leads to poorer patient outcomes, lack of coordination, staff burnout and higher costs.
Call to action – What you can do for World Anaesthesia Day
- Share what you love about your team via social media #TeamAnaesthesia #WAD201
- Have fun celebrating your teams and colleagues with the #WAD2021 photobooth
- Fill out the poster (available in English, French, Spanish and Portuguese) and share pictures of what teamwork means to you.
- Identify steps you can take to strengthen the effectiveness of your team
- Identify training opportunities like SAFE Operating Room and Vital Anaesthesia Simulation Training (VAST)
- Share team building and communication tools eg WHO Surgical Safety Checklist
- Promote your team as you go about your working day by:
- Adapting your zoom background to feature your team and the #TeamAnaesthesia campaign
- Include a ppt slide about your amazing team at the end of a presentation you are giving
