In health care, being able to lead a team is equally as important as being part of a team. There are a number of facilitators and barriers to effective teamwork in nursing. Some examples of barriers might be lateral violence, poor communication, peer pressures, and being over-worked, or not being skilled enough. Some facilitators might be effective leadership, healthy workplace, your level of emotional intelligence.
Consider what would make a team best able to meet its goals. Would you include the patient as a team member? How will you resolve conflicts in your team? How can you support a student nurse in your team? What characteristic of teamwork do you think is the most important? Thinking about these issues will help you in your interview for a New Graduate position, better assist you to work as part of a health care team and leave you free to be able to enjoy your working life!
For this assessment, you are required to work in a group of 4 or 5, as a team to demonstrate your understanding of teamwork, leadership, and communication styles to consider the assignment questions. The assignment has five parts:
Part 1
A colleague is handing over her patients to you at 0715 and you are reviewing the medication chart. The patient has a past history of Congestive cardiac Failure and has previously been on a fluid restriction although no order exists at the moment. She also has arthritis and went to theatre yesterday afternoon for a total hip replacement. She was ordered 1000ml of fluid over 24 hours post op and the infusion should cease when complete at 1600 hrs today. You note that the fluid remaining in the infusion is only 120 ml. You think that the infusion has been administered too quickly but the pump is currently set at 41 ml per hour. How will you manage this situation? Your colleague will be going home after handover. (400 words)
Part 2
What are the barriers and facilitators that influence team performance in this example? Consider leadership style, communication styles and team cohesion in your answer (Use evidence to support your work).
Part 3
After morning handover of your 4 patients you have reviewed the charts and have entered the room to greet your patients. It is 0730 and breakfast is usually delivered at 0740. Before you can introduce yourself and the student you have been allocated to work with, the following demands on your time occur concurrently:
Patient 1 Mrs Peterson is asking for help to the ensuite to use her bowels. You know Mrs Peterson had a stroke 2 weeks ago and has a moderate left hemiplegia and needs assistance to move. She is classified as a high falls risk.
Patient 2 Mrs Walters is going to theatre at 0800 and is not yet ready, your colleague has come into the room to tell you that theatre have phoned calling for the patient.
Patient 3 Mr Young is nil by mouth and has IV therapy running at 167mls per hour. The infusion pump alarm is sounding and the IV flask appears to be close to empty, Mr Young is also complaining of pain.
Patient 4 Mr Stavropoulous has been admitted for acute asthma. He is due for Ventolin and Prednisolone at 0800. His BGL at 0700 was 4.6mmol/l.
The ANUM is searching for Mrs Walters pre-operative checklist and wants to know if you have seen it.
In what order would you address these requests? Describe your rationale for each decision.
Part 4
What are the barriers and facilitators that influence team performance in this example? Consider leadership style, communication styles and team cohesion in your answer (Use evidence to support your work). (400 words)