Communication and mutual support: A Team STEPPS approach to teamwork

Introduction: Teamwork is critical to delivering safe patient care. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) and the Department of Defense (DOD) teamed up to develop the TeamSTEPPS® program, based on just culture and high reliability to improve teamwork among healthcare providers. Purpose: This integrative review aimed to improve medical-surgical nurses\u27 communication and mutual support to ensure that proper teamwork is in place within the unit of a hospital that has recently opened. Methodology: Fifteen studies were analyzed, and the Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Evidence Summary Tool was used to gather qualitative data from the literature to support the use of TeamSTEPPS®. Three common themes around the TeamSTEPPS® intervention were pulled from the analysis. Results and Discussion: A literature review was completed on the studies discussing the TeamSTEPPS® intervention to address teamwork among medical-surgical team members was performed producing three main themes, including (a) working as high-performing teams, (b) improved patient safety or satisfaction, and (c) a common language among the team. The literature analysis of the studies and results of the integrative review shows that the TeamSTEPPS® 2.0 team training program improves communication and mutual support amongst the team members on a medical-surgical unit. Conclusions and Further Recommendations: The TeamSTEPPS® 2.0 program provides a common language among teams that have improved patient safety and outcomes. Nurse leaders need to build highly effective nursing teams by implementing structured teamwork training to improve teamwork competency and patient safety. Implications for Practice: When implemented appropriately, the AHRQ TeamSTEPPS® 2.0 program provides enhanced skills in communication and mutual support to build teamwork, improve patient safety and outcomes, and improved perceptions toward communication and mutual support for team members on a medical-surgical unit