Crew Resource Management

Crew Resource Management (CRM) is a system developed in the aviation industry to improve safety. It focuses on interpersonal communication, leadership, and decision making in the cockpit. CRM has since been adopted by other industries where human error can have devastating effects, such as healthcare.

Overview

CRM originated from a NASA workshop in 1979 that focused on improving air safety. The NASA research presented at this meeting found that the primary cause of the majority of aviation accidents was human error, and that the main problems were failures of interpersonal communication, leadership, and decision making in the cockpit.

Principles

The principles of CRM are applicable to almost any field, and have been successfully applied in areas such as air traffic control, ship handling, firefighting, and medical surgery. The main principles of CRM include:

• Communication: Clear and concise communication is crucial in high-stress, high-stakes environments. CRM training emphasizes the importance of giving and receiving accurate and timely information.

• Leadership: In any team, strong leadership is needed to ensure that tasks are coordinated and executed effectively. CRM training focuses on leadership skills, including decision making, delegation, and conflict resolution.

• Situational Awareness: This involves being aware of what is happening around you at all times, understanding how information, events, and your own actions will impact your goals and objectives, both now and in the near future.

• Decision Making: CRM training emphasizes the importance of making informed decisions in a timely manner, taking into account all available information and the input of the team.

• Teamwork: CRM promotes the idea that every member of the team has a valuable contribution to make, and that the team should work together to achieve the best outcome.

Application in Healthcare

In healthcare, CRM principles have been applied to improve patient safety. Medical errors are a significant cause of death and injury, and many of these errors are preventable. CRM training in healthcare focuses on improving communication, leadership, and decision making among healthcare teams.

See Also

• Patient Safety
• Healthcare Communication
• Medical Decision Making
• Healthcare Leadership

References

Crew Resource Management Resources
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