This Trick of the Trade focuses on teaching learners in the ED.
After a shift, we often review the day's case with our learners. We sometimes ask them to self-reflect.
I often used Demian's 'Plus/Delta' approach and ask 'What did you like /what would you change?'
This approach works well mostly. But, when the answer is 'I don't think I would change anything', it is hard to target teaching and feedback to the learner's need.
Trick of the Trade: What case did you like the least?
Recently, I started asking this question, 'What case did you like the least?'
I like it since the learner now clarifies their learning need. This sets the stage for a meaningful exchange suited to the specific learner. This ties in with the coaching theme that was reviewed previously.
Sometimes the answer would not be what I expected at all. For example, a star internal medicine resident expressed hesitancy about suturing, and an excellent emergency medicine resident wanted more independence. Without this probing question, I might not have picked up on those needs.
What other ways do you coax learning needs?
