Table 2 Strategies used to manage interruptions, as reported by the 26 participants
Strategy | No. (%) reported using strategy | Example |
|---|---|---|
Internal strategies | ||
Talk aloud | 1 (4) | “Talking out loud: where am I, what is next?” |
Reorienting (not specified) | 7 (27) | |
Mental Checklist | 4 (15) | “Think about the order of the procedure in my mind. Continue to go through it and go back to the list.” |
Recap last steps | 4 (15) | “Retrace the last few steps, the last three things, this is where I need to go.” |
Mental bookmarking | 2 (8) | “Bank your thoughts – try not to lose my spot in what I was doing.” |
Physical layout of equipment | 1 (4) | “Lay things out so I know where I am.” |
Focus (not specified) | 6 (23) | |
Prioritizing tasks | 19 (73) | “The most pressing issue is the one I will address.” |
Concentrating on one thing at a time | 9 (35) | “Focus on one thing at a time. Not good at multi-tasking.” |
Delegating tasks | 8 (31) | “Delegate to the clerk.” |
Stop and think | 6 (23) | “Stop and decide if you should continue. Stop everything in a safe position and decide.” |
Ignoring interruption | 2 (8) | “Tried to ignore it initially – questioned if I should continue with the procedure.” |
Stay calm | 2 (8) | “Try to remain calm.” |
Maintaining accuracy of primary task | 1 (4) | “Doing what needed to be done – do it right.” |
Mental chunks | 1 (4) | “Manage in moments, split up your work into manageable chunks.” |
Multitask | 2 (8) | “It was distracting – I didn’t have full attention on either task. Trying to do both…had 80% attention on the procedure.” |
External Strategies | ||
Hurry primary task | 3 (12) | “Made me do it faster.” |
Handing over pager | 3 (12) | “Carry the pager for [those doing procedures]” |
Communication (not specified) | 2 (8) | |