Training


to achieving this. The ability and willingness to consider different perspectives is important and to challenge assumptions, your own and those of others. Your coach should encourage you to analyse and evaluate experiences, actions, and decisions to identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. Part of the reflective learning process is viewing experiences as opportunities for learning and growth and actively seeking ways to expand your knowledge and improve your skills. During my tenure at AfPP a colleague


introduced me to a book called ‘The Three Minute Diary’. The diary provides you with an opportunity to reflect on your day and document experiences that in turn facilitated the reflection process. It asks what has been good in your day, what has been bad, what you were grateful for etc. I found it invaluable, and I still dip into it when my pathway has become a little blurred and I need clarity. From experience, I know that it is very easy to


walk away from a fiery or difficult situation and think about what you should have said. I call this the ‘if only’ scenario. If only I had said that. In the heat of the moment, we often forget to breathe which, in turn, stops us thinking and behaving effectively. Reflection isn’t only about thinking about what we should have said but also about enhancing our ability to identify and address challenges through thoughtful and clear analysis of the situation, which often provides you with alternative solutions. It can deepen our awareness of personal values, beliefs, and strengths and also our areas of improvement, which will support our ongoing learning and development, and contribute to our professional competence and effectiveness. This can result in heightened empathy and understanding of the perspectives of others, leading to improved


interpersonal relationships both at work and at home. We all want to be good decision makers and


reflective practice can encourage us to review the decisions we have made and, in the future, consider the potential consequences and ethical implications of the choices you make. Reflection supports continuous improvement in work or practice by identifying and addressing areas that can be refined. It aids personal growth, self- discovery and achieving any life goals you have set for yourself. Reflective practice is dynamic and an ongoing


process that contributes to continuous learning and improvement, fostering a mindset of curiosity, openness, and adaptability. The bottom line is that, with coaching, people can become better at what they do and, in a healthcare setting, that is so very important to the safety of the patients. Coaching is a very undervalued business tool that can be important to any professional no matter where they are in their career. Great athletes at the top of their game have a coach. Brilliant singers have voice coaches to keep them hitting the right note. We all reach our limits and are unable to improve because of the complexity of things going on around us – an external pair of eyes can help us focus on the blurred edges and help us continue to see the bigger picture. We do have to feel safe in our environment to be able to speak openly and offer support and guidance to people who don’t always want it. Psychological safety is a shared belief that the environment is safe for interpersonal risk taking. This is a topic all on its own, so I won’t expand on it here. It is tough at the top and it is tough to be a patient – so you should invest in yourself to ensure patients are kept safe. It is not about how good you are right now, it is about how


Role play and simulation:


overcoming reticence Many people do not like role play and simulation. However, I can attest to its benefits. I can remember being accepted for my interview at AfPP and I asked a friend to support me with my interview technique, it had been years since my last interview and getting the job was really important to me. He agreed to help and developed some key questions based on what he researched about the Association. He did not share the questions with me, he invited me to his house for my mock interview. He conducted it as if I was being interviewed,


greeted me warmly but not as a friend. It was incredibly real – I even felt nervous! The questions


he asked provided me with the opportunity to think about my strengths and weaknesses. He kept notes throughout the interview process and fed back to me where I could improve my answers and where I had ‘waffled’ a bit too much. I took many things from this approach, one being that in an interview situation you are allowed to ‘blow your own trumpet’; you need to tell people what you are good at and how your skills will support the business and why. I still attribute my success at interview to his tough, but kind intervention and we are still great friends. Ultimately, role play and simulation can offer useful insights as part of personal development and the coaching process.


good you can be, or are going to be that really matters. Any improvement, big or small, can impact greatly on patient safety and healthcare outcomes.


Useful resources 1. Leafix Product www.pentlandmedical.co.uk 2. Dawn Stott Associates www.Breezy- publications.com


3. Centre for Perioperative Care www.CPOC.co.uk 4. Patient Safety and Learning www.pslhub.org 5. The Association for Perioperative Practice www.afpp.org.uk


CSJ


About the author


Dawn Stott has worked in healthcare for around 30 years in many different roles. She is a published author and a human factors/quality improvement consultant. After 14 years, she recently stepped down from her role as AfPP CEO and is now – rather than putting herself out to pasture – pursuing opportunities that are her passion. She has an all-round understanding of healthcare from primary care commissioning through to secondary care interventions. Some of her previous roles have included commissioning new hospital and GP surgery builds, IT implementation programmes, customer care, team building and leadership training strategies. She also has a strong knowledge of charities and the legalities around running a successful and sustainable charity. Along with a colleague she has recently started a Yorkshire Charity Leadership group to support senior leaders in charities. From experience, she knows it can be quite lonely at the top. Since ‘retiring’ Dawn has also joined the British


Association of Day Surgery as their Lay Member. She is looking forward to supporting their values and strategy. She is also working with Pentland Medical supporting their work around airway management and standardisation of process. Her philosophy is that kindness is infectious and should be at the core of everything we do; kindness can support change and encourage growth for everyone around you, so BE KIND.


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