has recently been readapted and modified by nursing staff, as nurses reinforces individual
responsibility mixed with shared responsibility (Fairbrother et al., 2010).
Cioffi and Ferguson (2010) state that team nursing has received minimal attention in
literature. This may possibly be the reason why team nursing is not so widely implemented in
healthcare, unlike patient individual allocation or primary nursing. Medical-Surgical Units are
implementing team nursing as an attempt to solve many concerns with staffing ratios, nursing
turnover rates, recruitment of new staff, cost effectiveness, as well increase job satisfaction
expressed by nursing staff (Zimbudzi., 2013). Fairbrother et al. (2010) analyzes that nurse
managers where having a difficult time with facilitating patient care with nursing shortages, an
increase in novice nurses entering the work force, and deficits in quality of care.
Zimbudzi (2013), in addition to staff satisfaction, team nursing will also increase patient
satisfaction. It was reported that patient safety and outcomes were drastically improved by
implementing the team nursing model, medication and clinical errors reduced by 50%
(Zimbudzi., 2013). Fairbrother, Chiarella, and Braithwaiter (2015), reported a decrease of errors
associated with intravenous and medication administration.
Team nursing clinical trials have been allowing the nursing staff to voice their opinions
and concerns (Fairbrother et al., 2010). This allows the nursing staff to tailor the model to fit the
needs of the individual staff members, teams as a whole, leaders, and patients (Fairbrother et al.,
2010).
Discussion
Some challenges in team nursing clinical trials have been voiced by nursing staff
participating in the studies. Team nursing gives the nursing staff an opportunity to voice their
concerns among team members and administrations who facilitate the transition to the team
nursing model. The challenges that arouse was lack of even workloads among teams, poor
communication among nursing staff, mixture of skill levels among staff, and openness for
change among senior staff members.
Nurse manager perception on complications.
Ferguson and Cioff (2011) interviewed nurse managers to get insight from their point of
view. Challenges presented from the nurse managers were that roles were not clearly defined
initially. Teams were divided by demographic location on the unit and some teams expressed that
this caused one team to have a higher acuity level than other teams, and may contribute to
burnout (Ferguson et al., 2011). Ferguson et al., (2011) explain that poor communication had a
negative impact on patient care delivery among teams. The shift to team nursing was driven by
factors, one was the mixture of skill leveled nurses in the workplace (Ferguson et al., 2011).
Nurse managers felt that newer staff were more open to embrace the team nursing model than
that of senior staff (Ferguson et al., 2011). Experienced nurses took longer to come around to the
concept and delivery of the nursing model, as this could be contributed to an increase in
responsibility as they served as mentors to the novice staff and team leads (Ferguson et al.,
2011).
Nursing staff perception on complications.
Team nursing was a new concept to the nursing staff, they reported minimal education
prior to the implementation of the model (Cioffi et al., 2009). Nurses felt that they were notified
of the change, but never given a blueprint of how to implement the change (Cioffi et al., 2009).
Nurses felt and expressed a lack of knowledge in regards to working as a team according to
Cioffi et al., (2009).
Conclusion
Team nursing may have roots that date back to the 1950s however, with the nursing
shifting to a profession, it fell off of the bandwagon. Challenges are encouraging a change in the
nursing care delivery system, these challenges can be nurse staffing, job satisfaction, patient
safety, and quality of care. Nurses are redesigning team nursing and tailoring it to fit the needs of
patient delivery care settings. Team nursing relies on superior communication throughout teams
as they work together to enhance the not only the patients experience but theirs as well. Team
nursing has had positive outcomes so far as it has boasted staff morale, and job satisfaction
among nurses, and patient safety and outcomes. Nurses have also reported improved workplace
relationships (Ferguson et al., 2011). Team nursing focusses on team work and providing patient
centered care. This can influence healthcare as a whole. Time will tell if team nursing will be
measured as a success or if it will once again fall off of the bandwagon.
References
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