Abstract
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>This chapter uses a number of case studies to demonstrate how technically proficient teams of doctors and nurses have managed a crisis badly, through a lack of training in non-technical aspects of crisis management. The concept of mental models, the primacy effect, confirmation bias, and the bystander effect are discussed again, but in the specific context of crisis management. The psychological phenomenon of tachypsychia, as a potential barrier to effective crisis management, is introduced. In a broader context the principles and practice underlying effective preparedness are discussed. It describes how simulation training can be used as a means of preparing for a crisis.</jats:p>