Session Design Submission Review

No

Yes

Challenging patient encounters are an inevitable part of surgical practice. From patients distressed about delays in care, to families upset after unexpected complications, surgical trainees are often on the front line of emotionally charged situations. While technical skills and clinical decision-making are emphasized in surgical education, structured training in verbal de-escalation is rarely incorporated into residency curricula. This gap leaves trainees underprepared to navigate conflict effectively, which can increase trainee stress and burnout as well as escalate conflicts that strain provider-patient relationships and healthcare delivery.

This interactive workshop is designed for surgical educators, program directors, simulation faculty, and surgical trainees who want to strengthen their teaching and assessment of high-stake communication skills.

The session will begin by framing the importance of de-escalation in surgery, highlighting common scenarios where these skills are critical, such as postoperative complications and disagreements about management plans. Facilitators will then introduce a concise “DE-ESCALATE Toolkit” that outlines practical strategies for these patient encounters including distracting the patient from their anger spiral, validating their experience, setting boundaries respectfully, and active listening with key go-to phrases as well as recognizing when to seek additional support.

Participants will observe a live demonstration role-play that illustrates both ineffective and effective verbal de-escalation communication approaches. Using a simple, structured rubric designed for assessing de-escalation communication, attendees will analyze the demonstration to identify behaviors that successfully defuse tension. The majority of the workshop will be spent in small groups where participants will engage in role-play practice using short surgical case scenarios. Each participant will have the opportunity to practice de-escalation as the “trainee,” receive structured peer and facilitator feedback guided by the rubric, and reflect on their own communication style.

45-minute workshop

Yes

Yes

Define verbal de-escalation and why it is important in surgical training.

Identify effective and ineffective de-escalation skills

Demonstrate basic communication techniques to defuse agitated or distressed patients.

Apply verbal de-escalation techniques as defined by the DE-ESCALATE mnemonic

Assess de-escalation skills using the “The De-Escalating Aggressive Behaviour Scale”