Table 1 Interview guide

1

Can you walk me through the scenario and tell me about what you were thinking during the case?

Prompts

a. Was there a point when you realized something might be not quite right with the staff’s choice? (Explore)

b. Was there a point that you thought to yourself, “Maybe I should say something?” (follow-up question regardless of yes or no answer). Tell me more about your train of thought at that time

c. Were you initially uncomfortable saying something? Can you tell me more about why that might be?

d. So, in the end, you (did/ did not) end up challenging the staff’s decision. Did you consider a scenario in your head about how you might approach dealing with the emerging situation? Can you tell me about what those scenarios were?

2

You were talking to your staff in the room/on the phone — would you have done anything different had it been the staff in fact been on the phone/in the room?

3

This was a simulation — what affect, if any, did this have on your actions/thoughts? How might you have behaved if it was a real patient?

4

In general how do you review cases with staff by phone? How do you review cases when the staff is present? Why do you think there are differences?

5

What, if anything, enables and conversely prevents you from speaking up and challenging clinical decisions about patient care made by your staff or senior colleague?

6

I’m wondering if there is anything that I haven’t asked about that you think I should know about the simulated scenario (how you felt about it? Your experience in the delivery room with colleagues? Anything you think I should know about power differential in medicine or in the delivery room in general?)