• Home
  • About
  • Advocacy
  • Careers
  • Donate
  • Contact
  • Library
  • Sign In
RACS logo

  • Become a surgeon
  • Trainees
  • Fellows
  • SIMGs
  • Research & audit

Key Information

  • About specialist surgeons
  • How do I become a surgeon?
  • Selection process and requirements
  • Admission to Fellowship
  • International surgical training
  • View all

Resources

  • eLearning courses & resources
  • College events
  • Interest groups and sections

Key Information

  • Trainee Association (RACSTA)
  • The surgical training program
  • Surgical specialties
  • Examinations
  • Training post accreditation
  • View all

Education for Trainees

  • Skills training courses
  • eLearning courses & resources
  • Professional development courses
  • Specialist training program
  • Library
  • View all

Resources

  • Training standards for surgeons
  • Surgeons wellbeing
  • College events
  • Interest groups and sections
  • Access Morbidity Audit and Logbook Tool (MALT)
  • View all

Key Information and resources

  • 'Find a Surgeon' & 'practice card'
  • Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
  • Reports, guidelines & publications
  • Fellowship
  • Interest groups and sections
  • View all

Fellowship Education and Training

  • eLearning courses & resources
  • Skills training courses
  • Surgeons wellbeing
  • Professional development courses
  • Library
  • View all

For supervisors, educators and trainers

  • Academy of Surgical Educators
  • Supervisor Support Hub
  • RACS skills & education centre
  • Become a mentor
  • Post-fellowship training
  • View all

Key Information

  • Pathways
  • SET as a SIMG
  • SIMG overview
  • Application process
  • SIMG assessments
  • View all

Education for SIMGs

  • eLearning courses & resources
  • Skills training courses
  • Professional development courses
  • Library

Resources

  • Surgeons wellbeing
  • Maintenance of Professional Standards
  • Contacts, guidelines and forms
  • Member benefits & services
  • Access Morbidity Audit and Logbook Tool (MALT)

Key Information

  • Surgical mortality audits
  • Morbidity audits
  • Research & Evaluation, inc. ASERNIP-S
  • Laparoscopic skills training
  • Trauma Verification program
  • View all

Resources

  • Access Morbidity Audit and Logbook Tool (MALT)
  • My audits
  • College events
  • Interest groups and sections
  • Books & merchandise
  • View all
RACS logo
  • RACS login
    Sign In
  • Become a surgeon
    • Key Information

      Key Information

      • About specialist surgeons
      • How do I become a surgeon?
      • Selection process and requirements
      • Admission to Fellowship
      • International surgical training
      • View all
    • Resources

      Resources

      • eLearning courses & resources
      • College events
      • Interest groups and sections
  • Trainees
    • Key Information

      Key Information

      • Trainee Association (RACSTA)
      • The surgical training program
      • Surgical specialties
      • Examinations
      • Training post accreditation
      • View all
    • Education for Trainees

      Education for Trainees

      • Skills training courses
      • eLearning courses & resources
      • Professional development courses
      • Specialist training program
      • Library
      • View all
    • Resources

      Resources

      • Training standards for surgeons
      • Surgeons wellbeing
      • College events
      • Interest groups and sections
      • Access Morbidity Audit and Logbook Tool (MALT)
      • View all
  • Fellows
    • Key Information

      Key Information and resources

      • 'Find a Surgeon' & 'practice card'
      • Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
      • Reports, guidelines & publications
      • Fellowship
      • Interest groups and sections
      • View all
    • Fellowship Education and Training

      Fellowship Education and Training

      • eLearning courses & resources
      • Skills training courses
      • Surgeons wellbeing
      • Professional development courses
      • Library
      • View all
    • For Educators and Trainers

      For supervisors, educators and trainers

      • Academy of Surgical Educators
      • Supervisor Support Hub
      • RACS skills & education centre
      • Become a mentor
      • Post-fellowship training
      • View all
  • SIMGs
    • Key Information

      Key Information

      • Pathways
      • SET as a SIMG
      • SIMG overview
      • Application process
      • SIMG assessments
      • View all
    • Education for IMGs

    • Resources

      Resources

      • Surgeons wellbeing
      • Maintenance of Professional Standards
      • Contacts, guidelines and forms
      • Member benefits & services
      • Access Morbidity Audit and Logbook Tool (MALT)
  • Research & audit
    • Key Information

      Key Information

      • Surgical mortality audits
      • Morbidity audits
      • Research & Evaluation, inc. ASERNIP-S
      • Laparoscopic skills training
      • Trauma Verification program
      • View all
    • Resources

      Resources

      • Access Morbidity Audit and Logbook Tool (MALT)
      • My audits
      • College events
      • Interest groups and sections
      • Books & merchandise
      • View all
  • Home
  • About
  • Media
  • Careers
  • Donate
  • Contact
  • Library
In This Section
  • Registration information
  • Overview
  • Testimonials
  • Our instructors
  • Eligibility
  • Schedule and fees
  • Contact
  • Human Factors
  1. HOME
  2. Education
  3. Skills Training Courses
  4. Training in Professional Skills (TIPS)
  5. Human Factors modules

Human Factors

Interactive online eLearning modules for Human Factors.

On this page

  • Overview
  • Audience
  • How to access
  • Testimonials
  • Further information
  • Reference list

Overview

To complement the Training in Professional Skills Course (TIPS), the TIPS committee together with a working group of SMEs have developed a series of Human Factors eLearning modules. The modules were developed to provide emerging surgeons with an awareness of the impact of human factors on surgical practice and risk mitigation, and to improve patient outcomes. 

The comprehensive suite of online resources includes videos, interactive activities, reading, and knowledge checks. 

Topics covered include stress and resilience, conflict management, situation awareness, decision making, team dynamics, and speaking up in response to unacceptable behaviour. 

Audience

The modules are available to all RACS:

  • Fellows
  • SET Trainees
  • SIMGs
  • JDocs
  • Staff
  • Skills Training Faculty
  • Applicants registered to attend TIPS and CCrISP courses

How to access

The Human Factors modules are available via the RACS learning management system (LMS) Moodle. There are seven subjects, please find links to the modules below:

  • Conflict management
  • Decision making
  • Patient-centred communication
  • Situation awareness
  • Speaking up in response to unacceptable behaviour
  • Stress and resilience
  • Team Dynamics

The modules should take approximately three hours to complete. 

Testimonials

"Enjoyed the modules - good content, well laid out. I will likely revisit them again. The accompanying material was of great quality and value to me. There was some interesting and thought-provoking reading." (August 2019)

"I enjoyed them all because all were very relevant for everyday clinical work." (October 2019)

"Very relevant to practice with good models and applicant during the sessions" (October 2019)

"Good videos. Good test. Like how it's not a strict test." (February 2020)

"The use of videos were really good as they helped to consolidate the theoretical principles taught in each module." (July 2019)

Further information

Human factors come under a number of names including professional skills, behavioural skills and non-technical skills. Non-technical skills is perhaps the most popular and well-recognised term, but it is considered by some as a misnomer as these skills are highly technical. The knowledge, skill and rehearsal required to conduct a difficult conversation with patients and relatives or perform in a team as both an active follower and leader is just as technically demanding as that which is required for a difficult surgical procedure. A lack of skills in human factors can be just as devastating and dangerous as a technical operative failure to patient, your team and your own wellbeing. 

A number of studies indicate that more than 70 per cent of surgical harm is due to failure of the professional skills; of misperception, loss of situation awareness and decision making rather than a failure of technical skills. Many Trainees who do not make it through the training process underachieve in the non-technical areas. Until quite recently, surgical training focused mostly on medical and technical skills. 

There is a tendency to think the key aspects are our technical skills, but in fact the harder aspects to master are the non-technical skills. Evidence shows that when non-technical skills are performed badly, there is a direct link to adverse surgical outcomes (Rosenstein 2011; Catron et al. 2016; Cooper et al. 2017). Throughout these modules, many of the topics link to other College resources should you wish to further explore that particular area. 

Reference list

Rosenstein A. The Quality and Economic Impact of Disruptive Behaviors on Clinical Outcomes of Patient Care. American Journal of Medical Quality. 2011;26(5):372-379.

Catron T, Guillamondegui O, Karrass J, Cooper W, Martin B, Dmochowski R et al. Patient Complaints and Adverse Surgical Outcomes. American Journal of Medical Quality. 2016;31(5):415-422.

Cooper W, Guillamondegui O, Hines O, Hultman C, Kelz R, Shen P et al. Use of Unsolicited Patient Observations to Identify Surgeons With Increased Risk for Postoperative Complications. JAMA Surgery. 2017;152(6):522.

Back to Training in Professional Skills (TIPS)
  • Registration information
  • Overview
  • Testimonials
  • Our instructors
  • Eligibility
  • Schedule and fees
  • Contact
  • Human Factors
Back To Top

  • For Patients
  • Find a surgeon

  • Home
  • About
  • Media
  • Careers
  • Donate
  • Contact
  • Library
  • Sign in

  • About RACS
  • About the College of Surgeons
  • About RACS offices
  • Global Health
  • Specialty societies & affiliated organisations
  • Surgeons wellbeing
  • About Respect
  • College fees
  • Position papers
  • Policies
  • College events

  • Education
  • Skills training courses
  • Professional Development
  • eLearning courses & resources
  • Specialist Training Program

  • Become a Surgeon
  • About specialist surgeons
  • How do I become a surgeon?
  • Selection requirements
  • International surgical training
  • Admission to Fellowship
  • Fellowship
See all News

  • Update: The CPD system is now online!
  • RACS NAIDOC Week 2022
  • Joint letter to the Australian Competition Tribunal
Indigenous motifs
Logo

  • Disclaimer and privacy