[Sharon]

Reflect on your work experience and environment. Thinking of the research you just read on teamwork which is 10 years old now and reflecting on your work experience and environment; identify and post recommendations that have been implemented. Have they been successful?

[Katie]

We have in recent years moved to developing and implementing Leadership Model for our cornerstone areas of care: Wound, Infusion and Palliative Care. Within the models are the specific policy that outlines the players involves, what qualifications they must have and what part they play in the development of skill and the escalation process. By default this creates a team, we have moved a step further and instituted quarterly team meetings for these team members to identify issues and concerns to address as a group. The validation process is integral within the Leadership model and reflective of the research done in the last 10 years identifying the positive growth that these models can have on clt outcomes and job satisfaction.

[Johanna]

Katie,
When the Leadership Model in use provides all the team members with the role clarity necessary to carry out their jobs and provide the best outcome for the client, it is the hallmark of a successful team. This role clarity and feeling of being part of a larger team would also contribute to increased job satisfaction.

[Jeanette]

Our work place has implemented a team work model for Providers, Nurse and Reception. Usually in each team there are 2-3 providers, RN/PRN nurse and, 1 reception. We call these teams Pods and there are 3 pods in the clinic. These pods work together with the same patients, the reception takes care of the administrative duties, the nurse does the nursing duties and the provider provided care for the patient’s concerns. When working in the pod style all members are teammates that are working together for the best possible out comes for each patients. Each pod has meetings to discuss care and any concerning issues on a regular basis. This Implementation has been very successful for patient care.

Outside of the pods the nurses RN/RNP work together sharing skills and discussions with each other on a daily basis regarding patient care. There are regular meetings with just nurses to discuss complexities and nurse scope of practice to help educate all nurses as we can all learn from each other. Another successful implementation of team work.

Leadership in our organization has developed policies and directives for all nurse to work at the top of the nursing scope for RN’s and RPN’s which will allows more experienced nurses to do work that they are comfortable doing gives the less experienced the motivation to do more.

[Maame]

In the research paper they spoke about team training programs and when implemeted they noticed a reduction of clinical errors on an emergency unit when a trial was conducted. I work in a long term care setting , what management does is coordinate skill workshops to help registered staff refresh their skills. Also management holds weekly meetings’ to get a better understanding of what is happening on the units’ and what we can do as a team to provide the best optimal care to our residents.

[Johanna]

In my work environment, in addition to the RPN/RN relationship, PSWs definitely play a very important role. They provide the “hands on care” to the residents, and spend the most time monitoring them. I work with several experienced PSWs who provide invaluable information about the residents that I could not get any other way.
In fact, before I started my full time role, the position was vacant for at least 6 months. Often, because RPNs were in short supply, and due to the pandemic, there was no RPN present on the floor for the entire shift. The available RNs would do the medication pass, then go on with their other duties.
The PSWs would take their observations of the residents directly to the physician during his rounds. In this way, the team was able to manage any changes in condition related to physical or behavioral issues.
Even though they lack the education of an RPN, experienced PSWs are an invaluable member of the team.
As pointed out in the Recommendations, it would be interesting to read some research on this topic.

[Author]

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