Evidence-Based Pearls

Trauma remains a leading cause of death among adults. Care of the trauma patient requires highly skilled trauma teams. Trauma care begins in the field, then presents to the emergency room, proceeds to intensive care in many cases, and finally reaches recovery and rehabilitation. For patients, it can be a long road. To be effective, multidisciplinary trauma teams must expertly drill and practice skills, communicate among team members in closed loops, make split decisions affecting patient outcomes, and see the care through to the end. Many disruptions during the course of providing trauma care can alter safe outcomes for patients. The American Association of Critical Care Nurses Six Essentials of the Healthy Work Environment are presented as a framework to provide excellence in trauma care, both for the patient and team members. The six essentials of a healthy work environment include skilled communication, true collaboration, effective decision-making, appropriate staffing, meaningful recognition, and authentic leadership.