Hi FreshGasFlow -
I flew for a number of airlines including major global ones (lots of CRM exposure over 12 years) and after the big slump the Staes suffered six years ago I found myself out of a job. So I ventured into the emergency medical transportation business where I flew and managed aircraft operations for international medical flight teams.
It was a very interesting experience to say the least but one area I was shocked at was the lack of CRM used consistently among doctors, nurses and medics. Please understand I am not throwing stones, I just noticed a very big cultural difference. It seemed to me that one of the most serious impediments to CRM was the long hours and downright exhaustion the typical medical professional is exposed to in the long, uninterrupted shift work that is present. I saw a lot of errors that were, frankly, obviously fatigue related.
Where I would be on a legal duty period, in some cases, the same nurse would have been working during my previous duty period not to mention my rest period. This is possibly mostly limited to emergency medicine, where other disciplines would be on more regular hours? I can not say.
I really do applaud your interest in CRM. I firmly believe, even from my limited medical exposure, that the medical profession can greatly benefit the general public by adopting a stronger acumen for human factors that lead to CRM-like tools being integrated into medical protocols.
There is a wealth of information available online. However, as someone who is in the safety and human factors discipline myself, I caution you to search for fresh information and valid sources. The latest CRM skillsets are more effective and different than some of the previous, first or second generation CRM that was common even just a few years ago. Look for current buzz terms like "error management" and "primary and secondary behavior" styles, and such. CRM can be a very interesting, introspective excercise when looked into thoroughly.