During the pilot sessions, the learning outcomes are assessed through a blended portfolio of practical methods. Each method specifies the activity participants complete, the evidence a trainer collects for the micro-credential portfolio, and the learning outcome it maps to.
|
Assessment Method |
What Participants Do |
Evidence Collected |
Linked Outcome |
|
Multiple-Choice Knowledge Assessment |
Complete a multiple-choice assessment on psychological safety, communication under pressure, peer support, hierarchy/conflict and debriefing. |
Completed multiple-choice answer sheet and pass result. |
Knowledge domain; conceptual basis for LO 1-4 |
|
Psychological Safety Check-In Simulation |
Triad role-play: concern raised, response practised, observer gives feedback. |
Observer notes based on listed questions, peer feedback, short reflection. |
Skills; LO 1, 3 and 4. |
|
5-Minute Structured Team Debrief Practice |
Facilitate or join a three-question debrief after a demanding event. |
Completed three-question debrief notes and brief peer feedback. |
Skills and competence; LO 2. |
|
Buddy Check-In Design & Practice |
Design and rehearse a buddy routine for own setting, including timing, prompts, boundaries and escalation limits. |
Check-in prompts, selected routine, boundaries and transfer notes. |
Competence; LO 5. |
|
Scenario Case Analysis |
Analyse case for communication breakdowns, hierarchy effects, missed speaking-up, role ambiguity and micro-interventions. |
Written or group case notes with risks, system factors and prevention strategies. |
Competence; LO 1, 3 and 4. |
|
Follow-up Activity Reflection (4-8 weeks) |
Apply one strategy twice in practice and reflect on feasibility, team response and effects. |
Portfolio entry using the follow-up reflection prompts. |
Transfer and competence; LO 1, 2, 3 and 5. |
Pilot-session portfolio: The competency requirements for the micro-credential are deemed fulfilled when the portfolio contains the following evidence:
Completed multiple-choice knowledge assessment result.
Observer notes based on the listed psychological-safety questions, brief peer feedback, and participant reflection.
Completed three-question debrief notes and brief peer feedback.
Buddy check-in notes including frequency, prompts, confidentiality boundaries, escalation limits, and workplace transfer plan.
Scenario Case Analysis worksheet documenting communication risks, hierarchy effects, and proposed micro-interventions.
Follow-up Activity Reflection from the 4-8 week transfer period.
Missing evidence should be documented by the facilitator and, where feasible, completed within the agreed follow-up period.
Goal: Participants practice behaviors that promote psychological safety (e.g., inviting input, acknowledging uncertainty, constructive response to concerns)
Time: 15-20 min
Form: Small groups of 3 (speaker, responder, observer)
Method: Role-play with structured behavioral feedback
Materials: Brief scenario prompt based on the examples provided in this exercise; observer questions listed below.
Process:
Step 1: Provide a short high-pressure scenario (e.g., unclear medication order, disagreement about discharge timing).
Step 2: One participant plays a team member raising a concern.
Step 3: The second participant responds.
Step 4:The third observes using the observer questions below:
● Did the responder invite clarification?
● Avoid defensiveness?
● Acknowledge concern?
Step 5: Rotate roles after 5–7 minutes.
Step 6: Brief group reflection:
● What behaviors increased psychological safety?
● What reduced it?
Goal: Participants learn to initiate and conduct a short, structured debrief after a high-pressure event
Time: 15–20 min
Form: Groups of 4–6 participants
Method: Guided simulation of a post-event team reflection
Materials: Three-question debrief structure; shared notes document if available
Process:
Step 1: Present a short scenario (e.g., emergency admission, difficult patient interaction, internal miscommunication).
Step 2: One participant facilitates a 5-minute debrief using the three-question structure:
● What happened?
● How did it affect us?
● What can we improve or carry forward?
Step 3: Group members contribute briefly (1–2 sentences each).
Step 4: Facilitator observes timing and structure.
Step 5: Reflect:
● What made this debrief effective?
● What would be realistic in your setting?
Goal: Participants design and rehearse a realistic peer support check-in routine for their workplace
Time: 20 min
Form: Pairs (dyads)
Method: Peer coaching with guided question prompts
Materials: Buddy check-in prompts listed below; notes on frequency, confidentiality boundaries and workplace transfer.
Process:
Step 1: Participants pair up and review the buddy check-in prompts listed below.
Step 2: Each person practices a 3-minute check-in conversation using prompts such as:
● What has been most demanding this week?
● What is staying with you from today?
● What support would help right now?
Step 3: Switch roles after 3 minutes.
Step 4: Pairs discuss:
● What felt natural?
● What felt difficult?
Step 5: Each participant defines one realistic frequency (e.g., once per week, end-of-shift).
Example Scenario:
A surgical team is performing the last procedure of a long operating list. It is 17:30. The team includes a senior surgeon, an anesthesiologist, two scrub nurses, and a circulating nurse. The schedule is delayed, and everyone is aware that two staff members are approaching overtime limits.
During the final instrument count, the scrub nurse hesitates. The count appears correct, but she has a vague sense that one small gauze may be unaccounted for. The atmosphere in the room is tense. The surgeon has already expressed frustration about the delay earlier in the day.
When the nurse says, “Can we just double-check once more?”, the surgeon responds:
“We’ve already confirmed. Let’s not prolong this unnecessarily.”
The anesthesiologist glances at the clock but remains silent. The circulating nurse looks uncertain but does not intervene.
The procedure is closed.
Later, during routine postoperative imaging, a retained gauze is identified. The patient requires a second intervention. An internal review labels it a “process deviation under time pressure.” Informally, team members attribute it to exhaustion and communication gaps.
No structured debrief takes place. In subsequent weeks, the scrub nurse becomes noticeably quieter in the OR. She limits her contributions to what is strictly required. The surgeon continues to emphasize efficiency and throughput.
The event is discussed administratively but not relationally.
Discussion:
System Perspective
● If you analyze this incident as a systemic event rather than individual error, which interacting factors made silence more likely than speaking up (e.g., hierarchy, time pressure, stress physiology, implicit efficiency norms)?
● Which of these factors are realistically modifiable in your own work environment?
Leadership and Psychological Safety
● Which specific leadership behaviors in this situation reduced psychological safety?
● What alternative responses could have maintained both efficiency and openness to challenge under the same time pressure?
Long-Term Team Impact
● Beyond the clinical complication, how might this event influence future speaking-up behavior, trust, and emotional strain within the team?
● What small, practical intervention (≤5 minutes) could help prevent similar dynamics in everyday practice?
Objective: To apply one communication or peer-support strategy from the workshop in your daily professional practice.
Step 1 – Choose one strategy
Select one practice from the workshop that you would like to test in your workplace.
Examples: use a clarification loop; invite input by asking “Does anyone see something I might have missed?”; initiate a brief check-in after a demanding shift or event; suggest a short informal debrief after a stressful situation.
Choose a strategy that feels realistic within your work environment.
Step 2 – Apply it in practice
During the next two weeks, intentionally use this strategy at least two times in your daily work.
Focus on situations such as high workload or time pressure, unclear communication during patient care, a stressful or emotionally demanding event, or moments when team members appear overwhelmed.
Keep the intervention brief and natural.
Step 3 – Reflect on the experience
After trying the strategy, take a few minutes to reflect: In which situation did I apply the strategy? How did colleagues respond? Did it improve clarity, support, or team interaction? What felt easy or difficult? Would I use this strategy again?
You may want to write down two or three key observations.
Step 4 – Personal takeaway
Identify one communication or peer-support practice you would like to continue using in your professional routine.
Even small changes in daily interaction can strengthen team trust, psychological safety, and professional well-being over time.
