Nursing and Interprofessional Teamwork on Inpatient Units in an Academic Medical Center.

OBJECTIVE: This study examined nurses’ perceptions regarding nursing teamwork and their associations with their self-perceived abilities to function as a member of an interprofessional (IP) team.

BACKGROUND: Although nurses tout the importance and necessity of teamwork as vital work-related factors, definitions and measurements of nursing teamwork within IP teamwork are limited.

METHODS: This correlational study invited all inpatient nursing team members in 23 inpatient settings at a 600 bed academic medical center (AMC) in the southeast United States to participate in a survey. All nursing team members (registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, nursing assistants, unit secretaries) with more than 6 months of experience as well as nurse managers and advanced practice registered nurses who were assigned to the inpatient unit were included for better understanding their perceptions about their nursing and IP teamwork. The Nursing Teamwork Survey (NTS) and Team Skills Scale (TSS) were used to quantify nurse’s perceptions about their nursing and IP teamwork abilities.

RESULTS: A moderately significant relationship was identified between the overall nursing teamwork survey (NTS) mean scores (M = 3.77, SD = 0.88) compared to the overall team skills scale (TSS) mean scores (M = 3.62, SD = 0.96); rs = 0.477, p < 0.01. A significant difference was found in the overall mean TSS scores for nurses having been in the nursing role between six months and two years (M = 65.56, SD = 10.52) and nurses’ having been in the nursing role greater than two years (M = 69.39, SD = 11.38); t (392), -2.53 p = 0.01.

CONCLUSIONS: Nurses’ perceptions regarding their overall nursing teamwork showed that higher levels of overall nursing teamwork were significantly related to their self-perceived abilities to function as a member of an IP team. The overall IP teamwork scores for nurses having been in the nursing role between six months and two years were found to be significantly lower than for nurses having been in the role for greater than two years, indicating their lack of IP team skills. Incorporating these findings into team competencies that train clinicians in necessary teamwork skills may assist nurse leaders in building more cohesive teams that are better prepared to provide quality care in a healthier work environment.