A Team’s Success Is Determined by How Effectively the Team Can Work Together

High stakes, high stress, work environments require individuals to go above and beyond the average expectations of employees. Careers such as Fire Fighting, Law Enforcement, and Medicine are among the many professions that ask the most out of employees. They are also among the top professions where highly functioning teamwork matters the most. The difference can be life or death. This reality is not lost on employers. Seeking to prepare their employees for whatever is thrown at them should be at the top of their minds. How can Employers accomplish this?...

Focusing Resources on Building Trust in Highly Functional Teams

Our training program for INOVA’s Nurses focuses on cultivating trust between colleagues. New hires and experienced resident nurses alike will benefit from training which opens doors of communication and allows the transition to trusted associates to develop quickly and organically. We believe the best way to achieve this is through new hires and resident nurses sharing experiences in an organized setting away from the work floor.

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Different levels of experiences can create divides within the workplace. People new in their position are often apprehensive to ask for help or stress over making the right first impression. Likewise, experienced employees can have biases towards new hires, such as not trusting in their ability to perform simple tasks. Both of these can have devastating effects on productivity and the moral of employees whose focus should be on the patients instead of interpersonal workplace drama. Nurses with Seniority may feel that they are entitled to pull rank on new hires because they know what it takes to be a part of the industry so they may exhibit some reluctance to accept new hires.

Nurses are required to work long shifts during odd hours making it easy to feel burned out. Fledgling nurses may feel that they are being looked down upon and misinterpret senior nurses actions as being hostile and unfriendly. Support groups led by a rotation of more experienced nurses can be held on a weekly basis to help new hires acclimate to the hospital environment. These support groups can be used to address crisis intervention to help with stress and serve as an area where thoughts and stories can be heard.

Nurses can feel undervalued and overlooked in regard to being acknowledged for their hard work. Doctors receive most of the credit because they are able to meet face to face with patients and their families to provide console while Nurses work behind the scenes to administinister the doctors decisions. Nurses conduct interviews and assessments to gather information that the doctor can use to make a diagnosis but are excluded from the development of treatment plans even though they deliver most of the patient's care. Monthly luncheons can be arranged as a way to give recognition and to show appreciation for the nursing staff. These monthly luncheons can also act as a forum where well respected medical professionals can volunteer as guest speakers to share excerpts from a time when nurses displayed exceptional service.

Although trust is gained overtime, this process is slow and ineffective in an industry which demands all members of the team are performing at the pinnacle of their ability each and every second. Our training program bridges the transition period gap. Allowing both parties time get to know one another upfront makes communicating once on the job more efficient and less stressful which saves lives.

Refresher courses and skill training classes can be made available through our program to assist nurses in maintaining their practicing licenses. These courses can create an open environment in that nurses with varying backgrounds in education and experience can attend together with the shared purpose of improving their industry knowledge and incurring credits toward their license.

Most organizations have new colleague orientation program where they familiarize new hires with organizational policies, procedures and cultures. It is part of new employee onboarding program which mainly focuses on clarifying work-role expectations and responsibilities (citation). So, essentially, they are designed to ensure that new hires have the necessary technical skills to perform their job duties. However, technical competency alone is not enough to guarantee smooth transition of new hires into an organization. Bridging the communication gap between new hires and their seniors is the most important element in implementing a successful onboarding program and this is where our training program comes in.

Especially, in a fast-paced medical work environment, it is crucial that newly hired Nurses and their seniors work in harmony in order to provide a high-quality patient care. Such teamwork above all necessitate a clear communication and trust among the Nursing staff. Effective communication and strong trust among employees not only translate into high productivity but also it helps to lower employees’ stress and turnover(citation).

Nurse burnout is one of the factors that leads to job dissatisfaction. According to one research (Citation), “In the United States, the number one cause of stress among nurses is teamwork — pressures associated with working together as a group, such as poor communication, conflict, and tension.” Particularly, poor communication is higher between newly hired Nurses and their seniors and our training program tackle poor communication and build trust to foster a more collaborative high-functioning team at INOVA.

In most circumstances, senior nurses tend to have doubt about the newly hired nurses ability to perform the job. In part, this doubt emanates from the fact that senior nurses do not have enough information about the new hires’ skills and experience. To overcome this communication gap, it is necessary to set up a formal environment where new hires and their seniors introduce each other, share their experience and determine communalities. Dan, professor of organizational behavior, states that(citation) “When it is time for newcomers to meet each other and their new colleagues, structure this introduction such that each person has time to introduce him or herself along the lines of their authentic strengths.” This implies that the best way to clear any ambiguity seniors have towards new hires is to have new hires communicate what they can bring to the table.

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