The Environment
Have you ever found your style cramped because you didn’t have the right equipment? Have you ever been in a bad situation and realized your interventions had to be delayed because the equipment (like a crash cart) was on the other side of the unit or you didn’t have adequate IV access?
This area of developing critical thinking has to do with something that is not always talked about: preparing the environment. Why does that matter, you ask? Setting up a room or equipment doesn’t seem like a matter of life and death… or does it? When seconds count, it really does matter that the right equipment, with the right people, with the right medications are already in place.

What goes into prepping the environment? How do you know what equipment to have on hand and how to prepare for the worst case scenario? It really comes down to the skill of clinical forethought.
By anticipating needs, possible scenarios and patient trajectories, you can promptly cut out time-consuming tasks (like running to the supply room), set up safety barriers (like making sure you have a port/IV/tube marked and ready to inject emergency medications) and informing others of what you see/predict so that they can be ready to do their part. By doing the prep work when things are not so hectic, you will thank yourself later when sh*t hits the fan (and your patient will too).