TITLE:
Improving Teamwork and Communication through the Use of TeamSTEPPS
AUTHORS:
Amanda Curtsinger
KEYWORDS:
TeamSTEPPS, Communication, Teamwork, Leadership
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.5 No.8,
August
28,
2018
ABSTRACT: Effective teamwork and communication are critical components for quality and patient safety. Investing in the nursing leadership team strengthens the collaboration between all health care professionals. TeamSTEPPS is an evidence based program that has been shown to improve the quality and safety by fostering effective teamwork and communication skills. In this quality improvement project, TeamSTEPPS 2.0 training was used to improve leadership skills among nurses in leadership roles on a mid-sized medical surgical unit. Nursing leadership was evaluated using the TeamSTEPPS Learning Benchmarks Quiz, the TeamSTEPPS Teamwork Perceptions Questionnaire (T-TPQ), and the TeamSTEPPS Observation Tool. The results revealed an improvement in teamwork and communication among the staff and nursing leadership over a ten-week period.