How to Run a Debriefing?

Abstract

This section of the pocket book covers the actual facilitation aspect of the debriefing based on a model including introduction, reactions, analysis, summary, and closing/conclusion. It presents the investigational techniques that can be used during the debriefing analysis phase such as the non-judgemental debriefing, the good-judgement debriefing, and the advocacy-inquiry approach. These various approaches aim to demonstrate respect for the participants’ actions and decisions at the same time as more or less probing into the rationale or mental frame behind those in order to close the identified performance gaps, which can be cognitive, behavioural, or technical. The advocated approach that can be used involves individually “repackaging” the identified deficiencies, generalising or decontextualising those, and asking learners for solutions, which forces them to actually fill those performance gaps and promotes deeper learning. The summary phase helps reviewing the important learning points or “take-home messages”. It is a way for the debriefer to ensure that learners actually recall the solutions of all the performance gaps, which have been closed through the debriefing, and hence that it has been effective (at least in terms of immediate recall). The closing or conclusion phase is more general and provides a further opportunity for learners to express concerns or reveal actual needs regarding additional practical skills training or access to recommended reading material to further their knowledge. It is also a key phase during which to thank the participants for their engagement and reminding them about the confidentiality aspect. Finally some useful debriefing sentences and questions relating to each of the debriefing phases are provided as a guide for debriefers.