PEARS Teamwork & Support 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During a pediatric resuscitation, a team member disagrees with the team leader's drug dose. What is the BEST action?
- Wait until after the event to raise the concern
- Speak up clearly using the team leader's name and state the concern calmly (Correct answer)
- Override the order silently to protect the patient
- Defer to the most senior physician without comment
Correct answer: Speak up clearly using the team leader's name and state the concern calmly
Closed-loop communication includes speaking up directly and respectfully when a concern about patient safety arises.
Question 2: Which principle best describes 'mutual performance monitoring' in a resuscitation team?
- Each provider focuses exclusively on their own assigned task
- Team members watch each other's actions and provide backup as needed (Correct answer)
- The team leader monitors all actions while others perform tasks
- A designated observer documents errors without intervening
Correct answer: Team members watch each other's actions and provide backup as needed
Mutual performance monitoring means teammates actively track each other's performance to catch errors and offer support.
Question 3: A provider completes chest compressions and feels fatigued but says nothing. Which teamwork concept is being violated?
- Shared mental model
- Closed-loop communication
- Situation monitoring
- Mutual support (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Mutual support
Mutual support requires team members to request assistance and offer backup when a teammate's performance may be compromised.
Question 4: What does 'shared mental model' mean in the context of a PEARS resuscitation team?
- All team members share the same level of clinical training
- All team members have a common understanding of the situation, goals, and plan (Correct answer)
- The team leader communicates the plan only to senior members
- Team members rotate leadership roles every two minutes
Correct answer: All team members have a common understanding of the situation, goals, and plan
A shared mental model ensures everyone understands the patient's status, the working diagnosis, and the intended treatment plan.
Question 5: During a pediatric emergency, the team leader announces: 'We are switching to a vasopressor. Everyone acknowledge.' This is an example of:
- Directed communication (Correct answer)
- Closed-loop communication
- Situational leadership
- Cross-monitoring
Correct answer: Directed communication
Directed communication means the team leader addresses all members collectively to ensure a key update is heard by everyone.
Question 6: Which behavior by a team leader MOST supports psychological safety during a pediatric resuscitation?
- Correcting errors loudly so all team members learn in real time
- Inviting input and thanking members who speak up about concerns (Correct answer)
- Assigning tasks without explanation to maintain speed
- Taking over tasks personally when a member appears uncertain
Correct answer: Inviting input and thanking members who speak up about concerns
Inviting input and positively acknowledging safety concerns encourages team members to speak up, which reduces errors.
Question 7: A new team member hesitates to report that the IV line is disconnected because they fear interrupting the team leader. This illustrates a failure of:
- Task allocation
- Psychological safety (Correct answer)
- Cognitive load management
- Workload distribution
Correct answer: Psychological safety
Psychological safety failures prevent team members from voicing critical safety information, directly harming patients.
PEARS Teamwork & Support 2
During a pediatric resuscitation, a team member disagrees with the team leader's drug dose.
What is the BEST action?