Factors that affect scrub practitioner non-technical skills: a qualitative analysis

Abstract

Context
Non-technical skills are the cognitive and affective behaviours that underpin clinical practice in surgery. The purpose of this study was to explore the factors that affect how scrub practitioners use non-technical skills during surgery and their behavioural responses to those factors.

Methods
Eight scrub practitioners participated in a qualitative semi-structured interview study.

Results
Five major categories were found to affect scrub practitioner non-technical skills. These categories were democratises surgery, learns from experiences, comprehends situations, comprehends behaviours and insidious threats.

Key findings and implications:
A scrub practitioner’s ability to use non-technical skills results from the interdependent relationship of intrinsic and extrinsic motivators that affect their own behaviours, and those of their colleagues, during surgery.