72. Navigating Uncertainty and Powering Down at the End of the Day with Dan Dworkis MD, PhD

It can be hard enough managing critical tasks in the best of times, but when things start to go awry, you need to focus even more to keep moving in a positive direction. Back by popular demand, Dan Dworkis (our guest on episode 57) walks us through: navigating uncertainty when under situational pressure, powering down at the end of the day, managing the physiologic response to stress, the most thoughtful procedural time out we’ve ever heard, and transparent team communication.

Guest Bio: Dan Dworkis MD, PhD is an emergency physician who is a clinical professor of emergency medicine at USC Keck School of Medicine. He’s also host of the Emergency Mind podcast that focuses on helping individuals and teams perform better under pressure and the author of The Emergency Mind: Wiring Your Brain for Performance Under Pressure.

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For full show notes of this episode and all sorts of other goodies, visit our podcast website

We discuss:

• How Dan’s approach to resuscitation or stressful situations has changed since he started The Emergency Mind project [02:30];
• Applying the core principles of prepare, perform, recover, and evolve to the scenario of a difficult intubation [05:20];
• Breathing techniques to manage the physiologic response to stress [07:40];
• Being cognizant of the other people in the systems around you and communicating what you think you might need next [09:00];
• How to build a high-functioning culture [10:55];
• Leave no trace emergency medicine and tale of the squeaky door [15:30];
• The drama triangle: victim, villain, and hero [17:15];
• Altering the principles of behavioral economics when doing a timeout in the ED [19:15]
• David Marquet’s fist to five [24:15];
• Cognitive load theory and how it helps us guide trainees who struggle when it comes to knowledge under pressure [27:40];
• Managing task saturation with systems and structure [31:30];
• Powering down after a shift [32:45];
• The fact that some days a win is simply not “throwing gas on the fire” [40:12];
• Algorithmic vs creative thinking and the shape of uncertainty [42:20];
• Dan’s recommendations for new listeners of his show [50:47]

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