(CRS) Teamwork and Leadership Lesson

Teamwork and Leadership

Becoming an effective link in the chain

A team is a valuable commodity. An effective team provides a bounty of resources, insight, and perspective. The team members contribute to the overall team character and institutional culture. Communication is an essential building block of an effective team. Successful teams master active listening, objective evaluation, comprehensive feedback, and effective implementation of team strategies. Team members often rally together for a common cause, each with a different idea and concept for success. Team decision actions may be accompanied by conflict. Conflict does not have a negative impact on the team when identified promptly and resolved in an effective manner. The conflict resolution process can actually provide opportunities for the team to develop both personally and professionally.    

Conflict Resolution

  1. Provide an opportunity for members to express their views
  2. Listen to each member's perspective with an attitude of respect.
  3. Identify the conflict.
  4.  Provide an opportunity for all parties to identify possible solutions.
  5. Use objective criteria, avoiding personal interest, to develop a plan.
  6. Implement the plan.
  7. Identify a defined time period to evaluate and revise the plan if required.

 

The Healthcare Team - Linking Quality to Care

The National Academy of Science supports the success of the team concept through the following statement:

"The high performing team is now widely recognized as an essential tool for constructing a more patient-centered, coordinated, and effective health care delivery system."

The healthcare team concept has an influence on direct patient care and indirect patient care. For example, the process of moving a patient up in bed may require multiple members including the nurse, nursing assistant, and even the patient is capable of contributing to their care.

Quality care is delivered through the Multidisciplinary team concept. A multidisciplinary team joins healthcare professionals from different disciplines together for one common purpose, delivering quality care to a single patient during the same time period. Each team member is responsible for developing a plan of care that is specific to their discipline in an effort to provide holistic care to the patient. Multidisciplinary teams may consist of Medical Doctor(s) with different specialties as indicated by the patient's condition, dietary, respiratory services, social services, nursing services, and other professionals as defined by the patient's clinical status. Once again, communication plays a vital role in the delivery of quality care. Each professional is responsible for providing documentation of services provided and the anticipated outcome.

An interdisciplinary team combines the expertise of practitioners from two or more disciplines, working in the same setting, to collaborate on one plan and one set of goals. This is the most common healthcare team. This method integrates care for a broad range of patient needs and allows for greater professional time management. 

 

 

Potential Interdisciplinary Team Members

Potential Interdisciplinary Team Members

Medical Doctor

Nurse Practitioners/Clinical Nurse Specialists

Registered Dietitian

Recreation Therapist

 

Physician Assistants

Pharmacist

Clinical Psychologist

Occupational Therapist

Physical Therapist

Respiratory Therapist

 

Leadership-The Engine or the Caboose?

Developing leadership skills takes time, patience, and persistence. Professional leadership skills are developed through

  1. Advanced studies: Taking the steps to gain additional education develops the skills associated with the workplace and prepares you for mentorship opportunities.
  2. Effective communication: Therapeutic communication skills contribute to an environment that is conducive to teamwork and rapid conflict resolution. Therapeutic communication exemplifies the leader's zeal for the profession and fosters a nurturing environment for other team members.
  3. Time management: Take the initiative to organize activities for greater efficiency and do not hesitate to offer assistance to other leaders/team members as needed. Take the initiative to offer support to team members as required to ensure that the team meets all of the objectives as defined by the team plan.          
  4. Teamwork:   A leader leads by example. Every great leader has the capacity to be an even greater follower. Functioning as a team member is the greatest attribute that followers will identify in a leader. 

So, considering those four elements, I feel confident that an effective leader has the capacity to step out and provide direction when needed and fall to the back when the team needs strength from within.  

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