Norwegian trauma team leaders - training and experience: A national point prevalence study

We conducted an anonymous descriptive study using a point prevalence methodology based on written questionnaires. All 45 hospitals in Norway receiving severely injured trauma victims were contacted on a randomly selected weeknight during November 2009. Team leaders were asked to specify what trauma related training programs they had participated in, how much experience they had, and what further training they wished, if any.Response rate was 82%. Slightly more than half of the team leaders were residents. The median working experience as a surgeon among team leaders was 7.5 years. Sixty-eight percent had participated in multi-professional training in non-technical skills, while 54% had passed the advanced trauma life support(ATLS) course. Fifty-one percent were trained in damage control surgery. A median of one course per team leader was needed to comply with the new proposed national standards. Team leaders considered training in damage control surgery the most needed educational objective.Level of experience among team leaders was highly variable and their educational background insufficient according to international and proposed national standards. Proposed national standards should be urgently implemented to ensure equal access to high quality trauma care.Trauma is the leading cause of death among individuals younger than 35 years of age in Norway [1]. Several studies indicate that some of these deaths can be prevented [2-5]. The treatment of trauma victims is a complex, multi-professional task in a stressful environment, and patient outcome is dependent on correct decisions and priorities undertaken at the right time. Trauma teams, which are specialised groups of doctors, nurses, and other personnel aimed at improving trauma care, were introduced in the early 1970s [6]. Teamwork now plays an important role in assuring patient safety [7]. Although trauma team composition varies, the trauma team is invariably led by a team leader, and in most Norwegian hospitals