After a practice emergency, why is it critical to write down every problem and success, even small ones, before updating the emergency plan for next time?

Writing down every problem and success, even small ones, immediately after a practice emergency is critical because it ensures the creation of a comprehensive, accurate, and objective data set of the exercise's true performance. This complete record prevents reliance on fallible human memory or subjective recall, which can distort perceptions, omit crucial details, or introduce bias over time. Documenting *problems*, even seemingly minor ones like a misplaced checklist or a brief communication delay, is vital because small issues can indicate systemic weaknesses in procedures, training, equipment, or coordination that could escalate into major failures during an actual emergency. This detailed information allows for a thorough root cause analysis, which is the process of identifying the fundamental underlying reasons why a problem occurred, rather than just observing its symptoms. Understanding the root cause is essential for implementing truly effective corrective actions. Concurrently, documenting *successes*, such as exceptionally efficient team coordination, rapid deployment of resources, or clear communication protocols that functioned perfectly, is equally important. These observations identify what worked well, reinforce effective practices, highlight areas of strength, and provide models for replication and optimization within the plan. Compiling this exhaustive, objective data *beforeupdating the emergency plan ensures that all proposed revisions are based on verifiable evidence. This data-driven approach allows for a systematic review of all identified issues and successes, enabling informed decisions, proper prioritization of changes, and the intentional integration of best practices. Without this complete, immediate documentation, there is a significant risk of addressing symptoms instead of root causes, overlooking critical deficiencies, inadvertently removing effective components from the plan, or introducing new vulnerabilities due to incomplete information.