Navigating Mistakes: How to Learn from a Mistake without Losing Confidence

They say, “ To err is Human”.  Surgery is no different. Even in the high-stakes world of surgery, mistakes are inevitable. Sometimes they can be very costly with grave implications. Regardless of the mistake's impact, they often weigh heavily on a surgeon's confidence. This blog post explores how we can effectively learn from mistakes without letting them erode self-confidence.

1. Embrace the Human Element:

Acknowledge that making mistakes is a part of being human. Understand that errors don't define your overall competence, but a reminder or chance to take pause, and reflect on why or how it happened. We don’t like mistakes because it reminds us that we are infallible.  But only by reflecting on it, we can see them as opportunities for growth.

2. Manage Guilt Constructively:

Feeling guilty after a mistake is natural, and it is hard not to let it consume oneself, by playing the event again and again in your mind. So rather than kicking yourself about it, using reflective cycles helps to reflect in an organized way and stops endless ruminating. Use guilt as a catalyst for reflection rather than a source of self-doubt.

3. Balancing Emotions:

Being an adult in a surgical setting demands emotional resilience. As an adult, we are to hold emotions without making a public spectacle. Contrast this with a child's ability to cry, get over it, and move forward. But perhaps, the child’s approach is not a bad one. Instead of suppressing the emotion, sharing it with someone trustworthy in a private setting helps to move forward.

4. Seek Support:

In the heat of the moment, when you realize the mistake has happened, that is the most crucial time. The first thing to do would be to call for help. Create a network of trusted colleagues who can provide advice and perspective. Calling for help when needed doesn't diminish your perception, but rather someone who knows when they have made a mistake owns up to it and asks for help.

5. Reflection and Root Cause Analysis:

After a mistake, reflect on the 'why' and 'how.' Conduct a root cause analysis to pinpoint contributing factors. This analytical approach transforms mistakes into valuable learning experiences.

6. Cultivate Mindful Practice:

Develop mindfulness during surgery to manage unexpected complications effectively. In courses and moulages, we run scenarios to train and assess, how will we manage these scenarios. We could do the same in our everyday life. Think about challenging situations or complications you might face and how you might handle them or note how other people handle them effectively.  

7. Balancing Confidence:

Having second doubts about your ability and competency is completely normal after a catastrophic event. It takes time to process and come to terms with it. It is also useful to reflect back on the times you were commended and complimented. Seek the support of understanding friends and colleagues. Understand confidence isn't about never making mistakes but rather about learning and adapting.

In any profession, learning from mistakes is integral to professional growth and surgery is no different. By adopting a mindful, constructive approach, surgeons can navigate errors, ensuring they become stepping stones rather than stumbling blocks in their careers.