Barriers and facilitators for taking action after classroom-based crew resource management training at three ICUs.

Background: Given growing awareness of the crucial role of nontechnical skills in providing safe patient care, crew resource management (CRM) training is being increasingly used to improve them. Implementing the plans of action that are formulated during CRM training may constitute an important first step in the successful uptake of skills. Accordingly, understanding the factors that determine why participants do or do not carry out those plans should help improve CRM training and enhance its impact. A study was conducted to examine the impact of pretraining readiness factors and posttraining barriers and facilitators on follow-up on plans of action.
Methods: Three ICUs, each at a different nonacademic teaching hospital in The Netherlands, received two-day classroom-based CRM training in 2010. During the training, new ideas for safety initiatives were documented as concrete plans of action. All plans were categorized as individual (for example, "Always ask a colleague to double-check your medication"), team, or organizational. Two months before and three months after the CRM training, all ICU employees were asked to fill out a set of questionnaires.
Results: Management support for patient safety before the training was a positive determinant of the number of perceived facilitators. A significant relationship was found between the perceived barriers and facilitators after CRM training and Taking Action. More barriers were negatively associated, while more facilitators were positively associated, with Taking Action. When assessed separately, none of the readiness factors were significantly associated with taking action, while when assessed together, the readiness factors were positive related to Taking Action.
Discussion: To overcome the barriers and profit from the facilitators, they should be considered during the training and in regular CRM meetings afterward.