Health Care Teamwork

Team work is at the centre of clinical practice in radiography. It is the core structure that allows the efficient flow of work whilst still providing patient-centred care. There must be an understanding that a team is not merely a group of people working in proximity to each other; but it is a group of people who use the division of labour and an understanding of each other’s role in the team to work in a rational and proficient manner. This essay will reflect on the team building I participated in and its correlation to my Belbin personality team roles. I will also explore the importance of this in practice, in terms of patient centred care and legislation. Using other personality questionnaires, I will consider Belbin’s ability to reflect my own roles and question if another method would be more accurate in doing this.

There are diverse interdisciplinary relationships in the health care system. Among these relationships include radiology, working in the emergency room, or working in a pharmaceutical company, functioning effectively as a team for best results. The marketing department needs to work together with the development department to ensure the provision of effective services, support and stability. As a medical discipline, Radiology utilizes images, via diverse physical agents and techniques including X-ray, radiography, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography, magnetic fields to diagnose and treat diseases, ( ). Also, professionals make adequate use of intervention radiology (generally minimum invasive) medical procedures, aided by the use of imaging technology to diagnose and treat diseases. ( ).

Tuckman (1965) suggests that understanding is required in order for teams to reach maturity. Tuckman phases of team development are:

This aim of the assignment is to analyse the case study (Appendix 1) by integrating three main themes; Interprofessional teamwork, culture and diversity and social policy. Throughout, I will be developing a greater understanding of culture and diversity which is essential in order to provide culturally competence care to a diverse population. Furthermore, I will have a detailed knowledge on the value of Interprofessional team working within the health settings and its benefits on individual. Later, I will apply this knowledge on character ‘Amelia’ who is my main focus from case study. I will be using relevant literatures as an evidence and analyse current policies including legislations and guidance in relation to issues which Amelia and her family will be facing.

“All health care disciplines share a common and primary commitment to serving the patient and working toward the ideal of health for all.” (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2014, p. 1) There are many different professional members in the healthcare system. Each of them, have a specific specialty and responsibility to the patient and play an important role in the patient’s overall plan of care. “The scope of health care mandates that health professionals work collaboratively and with other related disciplines. Collaboration emanates from an understanding and appreciation of the roles and contributions that each discipline brings to the care delivery experience.” (American Association of Colleges of

The Ultrasound technician will facilitate the abdominal ultrasound to produce images of the organs for interpretation.

1.  In Chapter 5 of Collaboration Across the Disciplines in Health Care, there is a list of expectations a patient should set for their doctor (doctors are not mind readers, doctors don't have crystal balls, doctors don't know everything, doctors don't have "the answer",  doctors don't have magic wands, doctors spend a limited amount of time with you, doctors make mistakes, doctors are people too, and you have a job too).  After reading this list of expectations, do you feel that when you are a patient you meet these expectations? Are there any expectations that you do not meet or agree with? Furthermore, are there any additional expectations that you think should be added to this list?

In order to fully explore the nature of team work in healthcare it is importance to first look at what defines a team.A team can be defined as two or more people with specific roles working together to achieve a common purpose(Kalisch & Begeny, 2005). For

The features of effective team performance are set out in Brian Tuckman’s phases of team development theory, ‘Forming, Storming, Norming, Performing.’ This outlines the phases that a team will go through in order to become effective and reach maturity. At the ‘Forming’ stage of team development individual roles and responsibilities are unclear and each member of the team is concerned to avoid conflict with each other. From this point the team will go through the ‘Storming’ phase which is when they start to conflict as individuals put forward ideas which will be challenged by others in a bid to gain power and position over others. After this the ‘Norming’ phase follows and it is at this point that individual roles are defined and accepted

“Running a health care organization is a team sport. It is very important that all members of the team-whether on the medical staff, in management or on the board-understand the role of governance and what constitutes effective governance” (Arnwine, 2002). Running a hospital is a difficult task. Several factors need to be seriously thought of and considered in every decision and undertaking. Unfortunately, all the three important factors in governing a hospital is not always in harmony. As likened to a team sport, if the three major components are not working with each other as a team, there will be tension and a great divide will be experienced. And often times, the patients will be in the middle and will be greatly impacted. This writer believes that there are several factors that contribute to the tension that usually exists among the medical staff, the board and administration. One factor is the disconnect, where each entity is not seeing each other eye to eye and their visions may be different from each other. Another factor may be the lack of communication in order to bridge the gap and to build a respectful and a relationship wherein there is trust for each end every member of the group. Often times, the medical staff is concerned with ensuring that patients are cared for in a manner that their practice is protected as well as the patients are getting the appropriate care. On the other hand, the board of trustees may be focused in ensuring that that

As a leader within an organization, teamwork is such an important quality to possess. Teamwork allows the employees to operate together, forming a cohesive bond. In fact, with teamwork, tasks are done efficiently and in a timely manner. Teamwork is so important especially within the healthcare world because healthcare providers and employees have to work together in order to provide the patient with the highest amount of quality of care.

According to American Nurses Association (2010) Scope and Standards of Nursing Practice, collaboration is defined as, “a professional healthcare partnership grounded in a reciprocal and respectful recognition and acceptance of: each partner’s unique expertise, power, and sphere of influence and responsibilities; commonality of goals; the mutual safeguarding of the legitimate interest of each party; and the advantages of such a relationship”.(p. 64). Collaboration amongst health care providers is very crucial in providing quality care to patients. Integration of disciplinary teams, improves communication, coordination, and most importantly, the safety and quality of patient care. It provides interaction between team members allowing

Teamwork is vital in healthcare.  When all participants are engaged in a program, goals are successfully achieved. Being able to communicate and work collectively as a team requires an appreciation for each other’s area of practice.  Every team member has an important role and being acknowledged provides a sense of responsibility and accountability. Essentially, inter-professional collaboration helps ensure that the patient is getting care that is not only accessible but also comprehensive.  The plan of a patients’ care includes active participation by all health care professionals working interdependently in accordance to the patient’s preferences, values and beliefs. The health care team accomplishes the goal of meeting the patient’s medical needs by delivering evidence-based practice.   To deliver quality care, the patient should always be involved.

Teamwork and communication are very important in providing good quality care, especially in the healthcare field. A team is described as a group of people that works together and cooperatively, between each member of the group to reach a common goal (Sullivan, 2013). For a team to function, communication is essential. A report by McKay and Crippen (2008), as stated by Alfaro-LeFevre, (2013) showed that when collaboration is in place, hospitals can decrease their mortality rate by 41%. When mortality rate is lower, hospitals does not only decreased cost, but it also means that patients are receiving good quality care.

Teams working in a hospital or other healthcare setting may consist of several physicians, nurses, medical assistants, referral coordinators, pharmacists, therapists, and students among others. Such large teams can provide comprehensive care for complex and chronic illnesses, but when they fail to work well together, they