Establishing a Team

Teamwork cannot begin, or be successfully achieved, unless a team is properly identified and established.

The process begins as a group of individuals is identified and established as a Core Team.

Teams are typically constituted by formal, institutional, or organizational processes in response to needs.

But teams can also emerge in situations where circumstances call for the prompt, effective and coordinated actions of a cohesive group (team) whose
members have unique, but interdependent skill sets.

For purposes of this learning exercise, you should be mindful of the need to promptly identify and make clear who are members
of the team, and who is the designated or assigned leader of the team.

Demonstrating that a team has been properly established is the important first step in this process.

EXAMPLE:

Team Member 1: (Carol, RN) "We have an acutely ill asthmatic patient with shortness of breath. To handle this case we will need a nurse,
physician and respiratory therapist to be involved in the patient's initial management."

Team Member 2: (Edward, RT) "Dr. Jones will you take leadership as we stabilize the patient and determine the exact cause of her respiratory distress?"

Team Member 3: (Paul, MD) "That's fine with me. I will need you, Carol, to get the patient on a monitor, obtain a set of vital signs including an O2 saturation,
and ensure that the IV that was started in the ambulance is still functioning properly. Please inform me of the oxygen saturation and we will institute oxygen therapy.

Team Member 1: (Carol) "I will put her on a monitor, check her O2 sat, place her on 2 liters nasal oxygen if needed, and check the status of her IV.
Do you also want me to obtain a 12-lead EKG?"

Team Member 3: (Dr. Jones) Absolutely, and can you also call Radiology for a portable Chest XRay?" Ed, can you give the patient a neb treatment and draw a blood gas for us?

Team Member 2: (Edward, RT) "I will start her neb treatment, and then draw an ABG."

 

 

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