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Critical Thinking Skills for The Trauma Registry Professional

By Michael Trelow, CSTR, CAISS

Critical thinking skills are essential in today’s fast-paced, information-driven world, particularly for professionals in trauma registry roles. With a constant influx of data from various sources, developing these skills is vital to discern the truth and make informed decisions. Trauma Registry Professionals deal with abstracted data and must navigate complex processes within trauma services.

What is Critical Thinking?

Critical thinking is defined as the “objective analysis and evaluation of an issue to form a judgment.” Key terms in this definition include objective analysis, evaluation, and judgment, which are essential components of the process. Critical thinking fosters effective problem-solving and creativity, and it underpins rational decision-making.

Below are realistic examples of how critical thinking resolved an issue for trauma registry professionals. The process of critical thinking involves five distinct phases.

Phases of Critical Thinking

Problem identification

The first step in critical thinking is clarifying the problem and identifying the root causes.

  • In the trauma service, for instance, a Trauma Registry Professional was tasked with finding missing Emergency Medical Services (EMS) run sheets, a process that often took up to four hours on Mondays due to EMS agencies not leaving the required documentation.
Creative thinking

Once the problem is identified, creative thinking allows professionals to look for out-of-the-box solutions. 

  • They explored whether the trauma registry program itself could offer a solution.
Logical Analysis

During this phase, assumptions are tested, options are evaluated without bias, and conclusions are drawn based on factual observation.

  • The registrars reviewed state EMS regulations and found that EMS agencies were required to leave written documentation in the Emergency Department (ED) after patient drop-off. This finding highlighted an opportunity for the trauma registry program to play a more active role.
Decision Making

With all available information, a decision-making process ensues, often involving team consensus to leverage collective knowledge and experience.

  • The Trauma Registry Professionals decided to create a custom one-page report to send back to EMS agencies via secure email or fax within 24 hours of patient arrival. This report included feedback and reminders, such as breaking out the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS).
Coordination/Implementation

Finally, timeframes are established, assignments are made, and expectations are set for successful execution.

  • The Trauma Registry Professionals collaborated with Performance Improvement (PI) nurses to create a report template that pulled data from the trauma registry. A start date was set for sending these reports, and EMS agencies were reminded of their obligation to leave written documentation at the ED.

Results and Impact of Critical Thinking

By employing critical thinking techniques, the trauma service was able to quickly obtain EMS trip sheets. Initially, when the trauma service began distributing custom reports, it took some time for EMS agencies to recognize their value. However, once they did, they eagerly incorporated the reports into their performance improvement processes.

Over time, EMS agencies began contacting the Trauma Registry Professionals within 24 hours of patient drop-off to inquire about their reports. If they hadn’t left a trip sheet, the registrar would inform them, and the EMS agency would promptly send it over within five minutes. This change significantly reduced the time the Trauma Registry Professional spent on Mondays calling for trip sheets, from up to four hours to just 30 minutes. As a result, the trauma service received the trip sheets immediately and could promptly deliver reports back to the EMS agencies, enhancing communication between the two parties.

While no one is perfect at critical thinking, consistent practice offers a significant advantage. Strong critical thinking skills enable us to understand ourselves and our opinions better, and to examine diverse perspectives without fear or bias. These skills are invaluable tools for proactively addressing problems in both personal and professional contexts.

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