The Healing Power of Teamwork in Medicine

A nurse and I have not talked for a while. Let us call her Rose. I have known Rose for nearly ten years. She is hardworking. She is serious about her clinical work. She takes the initiative. She always asks the appropriate questions and suggests possible solutions. If I had a choice, I would love for her to be my personal nurse. Although we work in different locations, I still imagine her as part of my team. Maybe someday that will happen. She shared with me that it was challenging for her to work in a particular work place – not because of the workload, but because of some of the nurses there. There are instances of criticizing to the point of belittling. There is isolation. What Rose is bothered by the most is the lack of team spirit. Many staff members work according to their own agenda, and patient care does not seem to be the top priority.

As a physician in clinical medicine, no matter what setting you are in – inpatient or outpatient, working as a team is an essential part of patient care. There may be officially assigned team members, or different members happen to take care of the same patient. No matter what the situation is, the more you work as a team, the better the patient care is, and the more efficient you are.

Before considering the technical skills or the physical responsibilities of each person, the most important thing to be a good team player is the attitude. Sure, there are different personalities. And yes, you do not have to like that person to work well together (although it helps if you are working with someone whom you get along with). I think the most important attitude is being serious about your job. You are hard working and you want to excel. At the same time, you are ready to work together with other people who have different roles. You are ready to lift your team members up. You are focusing on their strengths rather than their weaknesses – this does not mean you are ignoring the latter, it just means that you value what each team member brings to work well together.

It is important to provide an emotionally safe environment to work in. I am referring to a team with members ready to encourage one another and provide constructive criticism when it is appropriate. Create an environment where people feel safe to communicate, instead of having a gossiping ground where people are talking behind other people’s back. If a team member did something wrong, talk in private. Discuss what went well, then focus on what the problem was, or what actions were not helpful. Then offer a better approach for next time.

Be flexible. In the world of medicine, things can change very quickly. A patient may be stable now and crash minutes later. The roles of each team member may change as the patient or situation changes. It is important for each person, including the physicians, to be ready for any changes. This happens especially when you are short staffed and other members are requested to cross-cover.

As part of the package of attitude, it is always important to remember why we are doing what we are doing. Why are we taking care of patients? To help them with their diseases, so that they can feel better. How do we achieve our goal the best way we can? By having the best attitude and utilizing a team that works well together.

I hope with all my heart that Rose will get to work with a team that is loving, encouraging and empowering. A team that is bonded with the belief of lifting one another up, a team that is determined to work well together. A team that is flexible and open to changes and criticism. A team that puts patient care and efficiency to the next level. Let us all build a clinical team just like that.