October 28 - 29
3rd Nursing Working Group Annual Retreat
An exclusive cross-institutional collaboration to improve outcomes through technology
About
The 3rd SSN Nursing Working Group Annual Retreat brought together highly engaged nursing leaders committed to advancing safety, quality, and efficiency in the operating room (OR), trauma bay, and beyond.
From the evolution of success cause analysis (SCA) to breakthroughs in OR technology and collaboration, the retreat reinforced that progress in surgical safety and trauma resuscitation isn’t just about addressing challenges. It’s about amplifying what works.
2025
Insights
1. Shifting the Lens: From Root Cause to Success Cause
The session, led by Dr. Komal Bajaj, a nationally recognized leader in patient safety, innovation, and healthcare transformation, explored how teams can reframe challenges, learn from success, and make safer, more human-centered decisions.
Instead of asking what went wrong, participants examined what went right and why. This paradigm fosters psychological safety in healthcare,¹ team ownership, and engagement across perioperative and trauma teams. By focusing on excellence and replicating it, SCA promotes positivity, accountability, and growth even in the most high-stakes clinical environments.
2. Harnessing Visibility and Technology to Drive Culture Change
Nursing leaders shared real-world examples of how the Black Box Platform™ is transforming perioperative and trauma care by making performance visible, measurable, and actionable through video and data analytics.
By sharing success stories and lessons learned, leaders demonstrated that transparency builds trust, which serves as the foundation for safer, more effective teams.
3. Leading Through Safety, Trust, and Courage
Leadership sessions emphasized that the future of nursing leadership lies in creating psychological safety in healthcare teams³ and supporting human connection.
In a compelling fireside chat, Megan Nolan, Senior Director of Nursing and Patient Care Operations at Boston Children’s Hospital, discussed how leaders can shape the future of perioperative nursing by fostering openness and courage.
4. Collaboration Across Borders and Institutions
A defining strength of the Nursing Working Group is its spirit of collaboration.
This year’s retreat featured vibrant cross-institutional exchanges through digital platforms that enable shared learning, governance, and best practices. Leaders showcased how collaboration tools are helping align teams, streamline communication, and accelerate adoption of new technologies.
5. Nurses as Catalysts for Innovation
Perhaps the most inspiring theme was the recognition of nurses as innovators.
From optimizing trauma handoffs to leading OR efficiency challenges, nurses across the network are driving meaningful change within leadership and at the front lines. Their message was clear: innovation doesn’t wait for permission.
Recommended Resources
Surgical Safety Technologies. (2025, May 8). Psychological Safety in Healthcare Drives High-Performance Teams - and AI Should Support It [blog post]. https://www.surgicalsafety.com/blog/psychological-safety-in-healthcare-ai-should-support-it
Dumas, R.P. (2024, July 18). Trauma Care Breakthrough: Enhancing Performance Improvement Through Trauma Video Review [blog post]. Surgical Safety Technologies. https://www.surgicalsafety.com/blog/trauma-care-breakthrough-enhancing-performance-improvement-through-trauma-video-review
Surgical Safety Technologies. (2025, September 25). Psychological Safety in Healthcare Teams: From the OR Front Lines to Executive Strategy [blog post]. https://www.surgicalsafety.com/blog/psychological-safety-in-healthcare-teams
Surgical Safety Technologies. (2025). Surgical Safety Network [fact sheet]. https://www.surgicalsafety.com/resources/surgical-safety-network
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October 28 - 29
3rd Nursing Working Group Annual Retreat
An exclusive cross-institutional collaboration to improve outcomes through technology
About
The 3rd SSN Nursing Working Group Annual Retreat brought together highly engaged nursing leaders committed to advancing safety, quality, and efficiency in the operating room (OR), trauma bay, and beyond.
From the evolution of success cause analysis (SCA) to breakthroughs in OR technology and collaboration, the retreat reinforced that progress in surgical safety and trauma resuscitation isn’t just about addressing challenges. It’s about amplifying what works.
2025
Insights
1. Shifting the Lens: From Root Cause to Success Cause
The session, led by Dr. Komal Bajaj, a nationally recognized leader in patient safety, innovation, and healthcare transformation, explored how teams can reframe challenges, learn from success, and make safer, more human-centered decisions.
Instead of asking what went wrong, participants examined what went right and why. This paradigm fosters psychological safety in healthcare,¹ team ownership, and engagement across perioperative and trauma teams. By focusing on excellence and replicating it, SCA promotes positivity, accountability, and growth even in the most high-stakes clinical environments.
2. Harnessing Visibility and Technology to Drive Culture Change
Nursing leaders shared real-world examples of how the Black Box Platform™ is transforming perioperative and trauma care by making performance visible, measurable, and actionable through video and data analytics.
By sharing success stories and lessons learned, leaders demonstrated that transparency builds trust, which serves as the foundation for safer, more effective teams.
3. Leading Through Safety, Trust, and Courage
Leadership sessions emphasized that the future of nursing leadership lies in creating psychological safety in healthcare teams³ and supporting human connection.
In a compelling fireside chat, Megan Nolan, Senior Director of Nursing and Patient Care Operations at Boston Children’s Hospital, discussed how leaders can shape the future of perioperative nursing by fostering openness and courage.
4. Collaboration Across Borders and Institutions
A defining strength of the Nursing Working Group is its spirit of collaboration.
This year’s retreat featured vibrant cross-institutional exchanges through digital platforms that enable shared learning, governance, and best practices. Leaders showcased how collaboration tools are helping align teams, streamline communication, and accelerate adoption of new technologies.
5. Nurses as Catalysts for Innovation
Perhaps the most inspiring theme was the recognition of nurses as innovators.
From optimizing trauma handoffs to leading OR efficiency challenges, nurses across the network are driving meaningful change within leadership and at the front lines. Their message was clear: innovation doesn’t wait for permission.
Recommended Resources
Surgical Safety Technologies. (2025, May 8). Psychological Safety in Healthcare Drives High-Performance Teams - and AI Should Support It [blog post]. https://www.surgicalsafety.com/blog/psychological-safety-in-healthcare-ai-should-support-it
Dumas, R.P. (2024, July 18). Trauma Care Breakthrough: Enhancing Performance Improvement Through Trauma Video Review [blog post]. Surgical Safety Technologies. https://www.surgicalsafety.com/blog/trauma-care-breakthrough-enhancing-performance-improvement-through-trauma-video-review
Surgical Safety Technologies. (2025, September 25). Psychological Safety in Healthcare Teams: From the OR Front Lines to Executive Strategy [blog post]. https://www.surgicalsafety.com/blog/psychological-safety-in-healthcare-teams
Surgical Safety Technologies. (2025). Surgical Safety Network [fact sheet]. https://www.surgicalsafety.com/resources/surgical-safety-network
Swipe for more images > >
October 28 - 29
3rd Nursing Working Group Annual Retreat
An exclusive cross-institutional collaboration to improve outcomes through technology
About
The 3rd SSN Nursing Working Group Annual Retreat brought together highly engaged nursing leaders committed to advancing safety, quality, and efficiency in the operating room (OR), trauma bay, and beyond.
From the evolution of success cause analysis (SCA) to breakthroughs in OR technology and collaboration, the retreat reinforced that progress in surgical safety and trauma resuscitation isn’t just about addressing challenges. It’s about amplifying what works.
2025
Insights
1. Shifting the Lens: From Root Cause to Success Cause
The session, led by Dr. Komal Bajaj, a nationally recognized leader in patient safety, innovation, and healthcare transformation, explored how teams can reframe challenges, learn from success, and make safer, more human-centered decisions.
Instead of asking what went wrong, participants examined what went right and why. This paradigm fosters psychological safety in healthcare,¹ team ownership, and engagement across perioperative and trauma teams. By focusing on excellence and replicating it, SCA promotes positivity, accountability, and growth even in the most high-stakes clinical environments.
2. Harnessing Visibility and Technology to Drive Culture Change
Nursing leaders shared real-world examples of how the Black Box Platform™ is transforming perioperative and trauma care by making performance visible, measurable, and actionable through video and data analytics.
By sharing success stories and lessons learned, leaders demonstrated that transparency builds trust, which serves as the foundation for safer, more effective teams.
3. Leading Through Safety, Trust, and Courage
Leadership sessions emphasized that the future of nursing leadership lies in creating psychological safety in healthcare teams³ and supporting human connection.
In a compelling fireside chat, Megan Nolan, Senior Director of Nursing and Patient Care Operations at Boston Children’s Hospital, discussed how leaders can shape the future of perioperative nursing by fostering openness and courage.
4. Collaboration Across Borders and Institutions
A defining strength of the Nursing Working Group is its spirit of collaboration.
This year’s retreat featured vibrant cross-institutional exchanges through digital platforms that enable shared learning, governance, and best practices. Leaders showcased how collaboration tools are helping align teams, streamline communication, and accelerate adoption of new technologies.
5. Nurses as Catalysts for Innovation
Perhaps the most inspiring theme was the recognition of nurses as innovators.
From optimizing trauma handoffs to leading OR efficiency challenges, nurses across the network are driving meaningful change within leadership and at the front lines. Their message was clear: innovation doesn’t wait for permission.
Recommended Resources
Surgical Safety Technologies. (2025, May 8). Psychological Safety in Healthcare Drives High-Performance Teams - and AI Should Support It [blog post]. https://www.surgicalsafety.com/blog/psychological-safety-in-healthcare-ai-should-support-it
Dumas, R.P. (2024, July 18). Trauma Care Breakthrough: Enhancing Performance Improvement Through Trauma Video Review [blog post]. Surgical Safety Technologies. https://www.surgicalsafety.com/blog/trauma-care-breakthrough-enhancing-performance-improvement-through-trauma-video-review
Surgical Safety Technologies. (2025, September 25). Psychological Safety in Healthcare Teams: From the OR Front Lines to Executive Strategy [blog post]. https://www.surgicalsafety.com/blog/psychological-safety-in-healthcare-teams
Surgical Safety Technologies. (2025). Surgical Safety Network [fact sheet]. https://www.surgicalsafety.com/resources/surgical-safety-network
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