Improving Teamwork on your units

Birthday celebrations once a month.

No one is forgotten.

We have the best chefs/cooks in our unit. They make good food, "just because."

Makes everybody--including the surgeons--happy.

I used to work on a great unit. Note the past tense.

People left and their replacements arrived. Manager is still the same. So we can't blame her style.

Basically, it came down to the unit is now split between new grads (all under 30) and a few old war horses (45+).

Different personalities, nursing styles, and unchecked ambition. Several fresh nurses (with less than 3 years experience) have made it very clear they want the managers job. They are all about how they can look good and advance through the system without the hard work.

While us oldtimers still bring in the cakes, snacks, bottles of hand lotion for unit consumption. The new staff just don't participate. We invite everybody to everything. Maps with really clear directions and call if you need a ride pleas are left as well. They don't call or don't work the day of the unit potlucks, they don't bring in lotions. Yet they have no hesitation in partaking of what's on offer.

Some of the residents even chip in with donuts every so often but the staff hired in the last two years?? Well, it just doesn't happen. Maybe their Mama didn't raise 'em right?

Sometimes, it's generational and nothing will fix it.

I think a lot of successful teamwork is based not only on your own personal example of being a team player but building up your coworkers. Specifically, if you demonstrate your own willingness to be a team player by offering help cheerfully, taking an interest in how your coworker's shift is going etc... you'll let your fellow staff know that you're available/willing to help out/that you're a part of that unit's team effort to provide care.

Likewise, when you build up your coworkers to fellow staff/patients/families, you're setting a tone that the staff on your unit provides good care. Taking a positive attitude and praising your fellow staff to others (including patients) promotes a sense of unity, support.... and teamwork.

Good teamwork starts with a group of nurses who have worked together for a long while and are the core of your workforce and who set a good example of team nursing.

I have floated to some units which are a patchwork of float nurses, agency nurses, new grads and some overworked senior nurses. Teamwork starts with low turnover.

I never have trouble with this on my floor because we all help each other. We get along. The charge nurse sets the tone for the shift. If we are willing to help out and we are fair and treat people in an impartial manner we get team work. I don't yell at people. I ask for their help and cooperation. I try to support them and help them out. We work together and I reward the staff. We frequently have a "Starbucks Run" treat on me. I buy for everyone. I give thank you's at the end of the night, give pep talks at the beginning of the shifts, welcome people to work, say how glad I am to see them etc. We just try to have fun. I have a great team. The patients love them and they do a great job. We rarely have a patient complaint. I advocate for them and I try to keep their work load nurse patient ratio at 4:1 or 5:1 on our floor because our patients are so sick and we don't like for out patients to have to call on the call light more than once. We strive to give rapid response to calls.