Non-technical skills for anaesthetists, surgeons and scrub practitioners (ANTS, NOTSS and SPLINTS)
Introduction
The term ‘non-technical skills’ (also called
Crew Resource Management skills) came from the European aviation regulator in the 1990s, in relation to individual airline pilots’ skills. This concept is now used to
underpin training and workplace-based
assessment in a number of safety-critical
occupations,1-3 including healthcare.
Non-technical skills can be defined as ‘the
cognitive, social and personal resource
skills that complement technical skills,
and contribute to safe and efficient task
performance’.4
The following non-technical skills are
typically required in clinical settings:
−− situational awareness
−− decision making/problem solving
−− leadership
−− teamwork
−− communication