In the heat of a crisis, how do you bring a team together? How do you organize people who may have never worked together before, make quick decisions, and ensure the best possible outcome?
The answer is Name-Claim-Aim (NCA): a simple yet powerful framework that provides clarity, leadership, and direction when it matters most.
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What is Name-Claim-Aim?
Name the situation
- What’s happening? Make it explicit.
Claim leadership and organize
- Who’s organizing or leading this team? What all the other roles we need? Assign/volunteer roles clearly and collaboratively for the rest of members of the team.
Aim for action
- What’s the plan? Get the team moving on action, while being cognizant of the big goals.
- Re-Name, Re-Claim, Re-Aim as the situation evolves.
This three-step approach transforms chaos into coordinated action. NCA balances strong leadership with inclusive language, ensuring that everyone has a voice and a role in high pressure moments.
Name-Claim-Aim is helpful language to reduce the cognitive load during ad hoc teaming situations. In essence, ad hoc teams need to:
- Identify it is a teaming situation
- Co-create shared understanding of what is happening
- Explicitly identify the team structure and assign people to tasks
- Take action, do the work
- Reassess at intervals and adjust as conditions change
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Name-Claim-Aim Resource Cards for Download
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Why It Works
- Immediate clarity: Everyone knows what’s happening and why.
- Defined roles: No ambiguity, just effective collaboration.
- Encourages speaking up: Open-ended prompts like “What am I missing?” keep the whole team engaged.
- Built for action: Whether it’s an emergency resuscitation, a surgical crisis, or a high-stakes handoff, NCA provides a blueprint for leadership under pressure.
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A Tool for Simulationists Around the World
We know that teaching Crisis Resource Management (CRM) principles is essential—but it’s also challenging. Many frameworks explain what teams should do, but few provide a simple, teachable structure for how to do it in the moment.
NCA is an accessible tool for simulationists—it translates complex team behaviors into a structured, easy-to-learn approach. Whether you’re debriefing a code blue, running trauma simulations, or coaching leadership in a high-stakes environment, NCA provides a concrete starting point for real-time team organization.
When teams walk away from a simulation, we want them to remember and apply what they’ve learned. With NCA, we give them a practical, rehearsable tool they can carry into their next real-world emergency.
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Articles in Press:
Salvetti, F., Gardner, R., Minehart, R., & Bertagni, B. (2019). Advanced Medical Simulation: Interactive Videos and Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice to Enhance Teamwork and Event Management – Effective Event Management During Simulated Obstetrical Cases. International Journal of Advanced Corporate Learning (iJAC), 12(3), 70. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijac.v12i3.11270
Use Name/Claim/Aim When Rapidly Forming a Team – JEMS: EMS, Emergency Medical Services – Training, Paramedic, EMT News. (2024, August 22). https://www.jems.com/major-incidents/use-name-claim-aim-when-rapidly-forming-ateam/
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Media:
Orman, R. (2024, April 1). 123. How to Create a Team in 10 Seconds | Why time is not linear and every second not worth the same. Orman Physician Coaching. https://roborman.com/stimulus/123-how-to-create-a-team-in-10-seconds-why-time-isnot-linear-and-every-second-not-worth-the-same/
EmergencyPDX Instagram Primer on Name-Claim-Aim: https://www.instagram.com/p/DFGa59zTw3l/
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Join the Conversation:
Have you used Name-Claim-Aim in a high-stakes moment or in simulation training? Share your experiences with us!
Contact Us: info@harvardmedsim.org
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Let’s transform crisis leadership and team training—one simulation at a time.
