Leadership and team work: why you make a difference:

Kendall Lewis - Sexual Health Support worker HEFTVal Hills -Professional Learning and Development

Facilitator, Royal College of Nursing

Aims and objectives

To provide the opportunity to think about and share:

• Why effective team work matters to patients and staff.

• What is effective team work• Leading at the point of care - why

you make a difference.

Bob’s story

In 2s and 3s consider:

Listening to Kendall’s story

•What are the differences between the two teams Kendall worked in?

•How did it impact on him?

What is an effective team?Take a couple of minutes to think of a situation when

you worked in a really effective team - it can be at any time and situation and does not only relate to working in teams at work.

In 2s and 3s talk to your colleagues:• What factors made you think this team was

effective?

• How did you feel about working in this team?

• What impact did it have on others?

• Capture the essence of your conversations on the post it notes.

A little bit of team work

The floating stick.

Team task – to lower stick to the floor2 equal rows facing each other. Hold out index fingers of both hands.Place stick on top of index fingers.Lower the stick

So what happened?

Effective teams• Communicate, communicate, communicate (listening

as well as speaking and noticing body language)• Clarity about roles and responsibility and mutual

accountability• Treat each other with dignity and respect• Value everyone's contribution• Clear about their purpose - what they are there to

achieve• Work together to achieve the task• Create a culture where patients and staff feel

safe ,cared for and valued• Recognises impact of loss and arrival of new team

members• Effective teams develop – Form, storm, norm,

perform

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Team

“The best and most cost-effective outcomes for patients and clients are achieved when professionals work together, learn together, engage in clinical audit of outcomes together, and generate innovation to ensure progress in practice and service.”

NHS

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Team Outcomes

• The quality of teamwork is directly and positively related to quality of patient care and innovation in healthcare.

• Where more employees work in teams the death rate among patients is significantly lower.

Borrill et al, 2001

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Team Outcomes

• In those teams characterised by clear leadership, high levels of integration, good communication and effective team processes, team members have good mental health and low stress levels.

Borrill et al, 2001

Bitching blaming and backbiting

Lack of feedback and failure to deal with conflict

Leading at the point of care

Front line staff have a tremendous influence on the patient’s outcome and how they experience care.

Leadership is about the ability to influence others – who do you influence?

Thinking about yours leadership role?

Case scenario NursingMr B is a 67 year old man who has been admitted to your ward due to having a high fever and generally feeling unwell. He is under- 24 hours monitoring due to his condition getting worse. You have been asked to perform a series of observation on him such as temperature, blood pressure, respiration counts etc. (MEWS). Whilst you were taking his observations Mr B tells you that he is hungry and did not eat his food provided to him at lunch time as he found it difficult to swallow the food provided for him; he also tells you that he did not tell the other health professionals as he didn’t want to disturb them as everyone seems so busy rushing around.

•What action will you take?•Who will you speak to about what Mr B said and why and when?•Where will you document what Mr B said and maybe advice what could be done?•How would you reassure Mr B?•What about the observations?•What may help or hinder you taking these steps?

•How does being in an effective team help support your actions?•How do team work, leadership and management fit into this?

Take 5 mins to discuss this in your 2/3s

Acting as Leader - influence

Making a difference

Being heard – it is important that your voice is heard by those who have the authority to act - make sure they are in a position to listen to your concerns.

Be clear in how you say it – don’t demean your status ie I am only a HCA

It is important to know what to do if they fail to act

Persistence can pay off - the duty of care rests with everyone in the team

At the front line of the 6Cs

How I can improve teamwork

Write a short sentence about how you will actively contribute to your teams effectiveness.

I will………

Useful RCN online resources

RCN Team effectiveness guides:http://www.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/

0003/78735/003115.pdfRCN Working Well initiative:http://www.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/

0005/78638/002487.pdfHuman factors, impact on patient safety and team

work:http://www.rcn.org.uk/development/practice/

patient_safety/human_factors_teamwork

What have you learned/gained from

this sessionPlease complete a post-it and place it

on the learning tree.

Thank you