The Power of Elaine's Story: A Personal Reflection. Issue 3 (March 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kamensky, J
• Is Part Of: Journal of perioperative practice. Volume 24:Issue 3(2014)
• Page Start: 50
• Page End: 55
• Publication Date: 2014-03
• Subjects: Human factors -- Fixation errors -- Airway management -- Effective communication -- Situational awareness -- Leadership -- Theatre culture; Operating room nursing -- Periodicals; 617.9192
• DOI: 10.1177/175045891602400304
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2515-7949

Abstract

There will be few perioperative students (nursing, ODP) or surgical and anaesthetic trainees, who will not have heard of the tragic case of Mrs Elaine Bromiley. A 37 year old mother of two, admitted for an elective endoscopic sinus surgery and septoplasty, Elaine suffered major complications during the induction of general anaesthesia that resulted in her death due to hypoxic brain damage (Harmer 2005). As a student ODP, watching the DVD of the reconstruction of the events that contributed to Elaine's death, I am conscious of the profound impact it had on me and the key learning points for practice.