The trials and tribulations of team-nursing

Aim The aim of this study was to review the team-nursing approach to care adopted by two general medical wards in a large private hospital. The delivery model of care was reviewed to determine the factors that enhance and/or hinder the timely delivery, continuity and communication of care. Method Al...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Collegian (Royal College of Nursing, Australia) Australia), 2006-07, Vol.13 (3), p.11-17
Main Authors: O'Connell, Bev, Duke, Maxine, Bennett, Peter, Crawford, Sharyn, Korfiatis, Vanessa
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
acute care
Attitude of Health Personnel
Continuity of Patient Care
delivery model
Forms and Records Control
Hospitals
Humans
Interprofessional Relations
Nursing
Nursing models
Nursing Staff, Hospital - organization & administration
Organizational factors
Patient care
Patient Care Team - organization & administration
Team work
team-nursing
Victoria
Workload
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Summary:Aim The aim of this study was to review the team-nursing approach to care adopted by two general medical wards in a large private hospital. The delivery model of care was reviewed to determine the factors that enhance and/or hinder the timely delivery, continuity and communication of care. Method All nursing and ancillary staff who worked on two medical wards at a private teaching hospital were invited to participate in the study. Thirty eight participants from the two wards took part in focus group discussions, individual interviews and completed the Staff Continuity of Care Questionnaire. Findings Findings indicated that achieving functionally sound teamwork is a complex task that is affected by the interplay of a number of organisational, patient and staff factors. Its smooth application is further affected by the uncertain and changing conditions on the wards, which are difficult to control and impact on the smooth delivery of patient care. The findings revealed strengths and weaknesses in teamwork, communication of care, documentation and discharge planning. The results also highlighted factors that enhance and hinder the smooth delivery of care. This paper details the factors that influence the delivery of care from the perspectives of nursing staff and makes recommendations to enhance the delivery of patient care using a team-nursing approach.
ISSN:1322-7696
DOI:10.1016/S1322-7696(08)60527-2