Improving Nursing Unit Teamwork

A lack of teamwork among nursing staff affects care delivery and unit operations and the authors discuss strategies to overcome obstacles to teamwork.

Abstract

A lack of teamwork among nursing staff affects care delivery and unit operations. Barriers present in the structure of a typical patient care unit that make it extremely difficult to achieve a high level of teamwork include large team size, lack of familiarity, instability of the work force and assignments, the absence of a common purpose and destiny, and an inhibiting physical environment. The authors discuss strategies to overcome these obstacles to teamwork.