Supporting NHS Wales to Deliver World Class Healthcare

Teamwork- Why Hospitals Should Fly

Lisa HenryNLIAH

What is a Team? Team

Two or more people working together

The Oxford English Dictionary’s definition

Alternative definition of a Team

Michael West describes “real teams” as;

• Those groups of individuals who come together to perform a common task who:

• Have common, shared objectives

• Need to work interdependently to achieve these objectives

• Have different and defined roles

• Have a team identity-that is they recognise themselves to be a team and are recognised by others to be a team

• Are of a size to achieve the task and no larger.

The relationship between interdependent working and Task and/or environmental

complexity

Aston Organisation Development 2007

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Task and / or environmental complexity

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Work Groups

Real Teams

Lead roles in theatresIn the operating theatre there is generally no clear

single leader:

• The nurse in charge (theatre sister, team leader etc)leads on staffing, organizing equipment and the

running of the list.• The surgeon leads the conduct of the

operation.• The anesthetist on supporting and

sustaining the patient through the procedure.

In this shared leadership environment team-working becomes paramount to improve safety and deliver high performance.

The productive Operating Theatre: Team working Module.

Mitigated SpeechUsed by linguists to describe any attempt to

downplay or “sugarcoat” the meaning of what’s being said.

This is used when we’re:

• Being polite• Ashamed or embarrassed• Being deferential to authority

Malcolm Gladwell 2009

Levels of mitigation1. Command- No mitigation

2. Obligation Statement- Often use of we”, the request is softer and less

specific.

3. Suggestion- “we’re in this together”

4. Query- Speaker is conceding that he’s not in charge

5. Preference- “I think it would be wise to..”

6. Hint- the Most mitigated statement at all Fischer and Orasanu

An Example of Mitigated Speech:

The Tenerife Air disaster March 27 1977.

Why Hospitals should Fly-The Ultimate Flight Plan to Patient Safety and Quality Care

John J. Nance. JD

This is being played with permission of the Publisher, Second River Healthcare Press

www.SecondRiverHealthcare.com

Captain Jacob Van Zanten

583 people died

What has the airline industry learnt from accidents and near

misses?

• Culture change • Human factors training• Multiple causes to accidents• Comprehensive Checklists

Supporting NHS Wales to Deliver World Class Healthcare

Are you part of a team?