Background: Newborns with critical congenital heart disease (CCHD) require specialized delivery room management, but varying experience and knowledge can reduce confidence and impact care.
Methods: A pre-delivery, structured huddle checklist was introduced, addressing team roles, expected physiology, and management plans. PDSA cycles incorporated guidelines and simulation-based education to improve confidence in specialized resuscitation strategies. Surveys were conducted at baseline and 6 months.
Results: Baseline, all-respondent confidence in managing "all types of CCHD" was somewhat confident (median 3/5; IQR 2-4) increasing to moderately confident (4/5; IQR 2-4) at 6 months (p = 0.59). Respondents with 0-3 years' experience showed increased confidence over 6 months in identifying unstable infants (from baseline 24% to 67% moderately/very confident, p = 0.005), prostaglandin E1 needs (from 24% to 62%, p = 0.013) and sedation requirements (from 5% to 33%, p = 0.045).
Conclusion: Structured huddles improved confidence among less experienced team members, emphasizing the importance of shared mental models before CCHD deliveries.
© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature America, Inc.