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CUSP Toolkit

Implement Teamwork & Communication, Facilitator Notes

Contents

Slide 1. Cover Slide
Slide 2. Learning Objectives
Slide 3. Basic Components and Process of Communication2
Slide 4. Four Key Components of Effective Communication1
Slide 5. Elements That Affect Communication and Information Exchange3
Slide 6. Communication Breakdowns Cause Treatment Delays
Slide 7. Communication Breakdowns Cause Infection-Associated Events3
Slide 8. Exercise
Slide 9. Barriers to Team Effectiveness1
Slide 10. Positive Outcomes of Effective Teamwork on Health Care4
Slide 11. Shadowing
Slide 12. Daily Goals Checklist
Slide 13. Daily Goals
Slide 14. How to Use the Daily Goals Checklist
Slide 15. Using the Daily Goals Checklist
Slide 16. Selected TeamSTEPPS Tools1
Slide 17. Briefing1
Slide 18. Briefing in Action
Slide 19. Huddle1
Slide 20. Debriefing1
Slide 21. STEP1
Slide 22. I'M Safe1
Slide 23. Task Assistance1
Slide 24. Feedback1
Slide 25. Advocacy and Assertion1
Slide 26. Two-Challenge Rule1
Slide 27. DESC Script1
Slide 28. CUS1
Slide 29. Collaboration1
Slide 30. SBAR1
Slide 31. Call-Out1
Slide 32. Check-Back1
Slide 33. Handoff1
Slide 34. I PASS the BATON1
Slide 35. Situational Awareness1
Slide 36. Implement Teamwork and Communication: What the Team Needs to Do
Slide 37. Summary
Slide 38. Additional CUSP Tools
Slide 39. References

Slide 1. Cover Slide

The “Teamwork and Collaboration” module of the CUSP Toolkit. The CUSP toolkit is a modular approach to patient safety, and modules presented in this toolkit are interconnected and are aimed at improving patient safety.

Say:

The "Implement Teamwork and Communication" module of the Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program (or CUSP) Toolkit will help you understand the importance of effective communication and transparency, identify barriers to communication, and apply the effective teamwork and communication tools from CUSP and TeamSTEPPS®.

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Slide 2. Learning Objectives

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Say:

In this module, we will:

  • Recognize the importance of effective communication,
  • Identify barriers to communication,
  • Describe the connection between communication and medical errors, and
  • Identify and apply effective communication strategies from both CUSP and TeamSTEPPS.

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Slide 3. Basic Components and Process of Communication2

Graphic description of the basic components and process of communication. The communication that takes place between two people is exposed to many roadblocks in between its transmission from one individual to another. First, the sender encodes, or creates, the message, which is influenced by the sender's context, and then transmits the message to the receiver, who then must decode, or process, the message, based on the receiver's context. While the message is being transmitted, it is exposed to noise interference that affects the context and clarity of the message that is sent and received.

Say:

Communication, both verbal and nonverbal, is complex and subject to distortion or misinterpretation as it is encoded and decoded between communicators. In verbal communication, ideas are first encoded, or created, when the sender speaks to the receiver. The receiver then decodes, or interprets, the message. The interpretation is affected by the context, auditory distractions, and the individual makeup of the participants involved in the conversation.

These seemingly insignificant elements comprise the overall communication system in which providers share information, ideas, and needs within the health care setting. Each aspect is interconnected and dependent on the influences and composition of the others, meaning a distraction or malfunction in the encoding process or any other component in the model impairs decoding and understanding.

The background and physical environment of the communicators influences the distribution and receipt of messages. Individuals are unique, and their experiences dictate how messages are created, shared, and understood. Knowing this, individuals in health care settings can affect the outcome of their interaction with colleagues by realizing how to effectively share ideas and comprehend those of others.

Ask:

  • Can you identify at least one factor on your unit that may obstruct effective communication? Possible examples include pages, alarms, and side conversations.
  • Can you identify ways to collaborate with team members to mitigate these distractions on your unit?

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Slide 4. Four Key Components of Effective Communication1

Complete. Clear. Concise. Timely.

Say:

Effective communication is complete.

  • It communicates all relevant information while avoiding unnecessary details that may cause confusion.
  • It allows time for patient and staff questions and answers questions completely.

Effective communication is clear.

  • It uses plain language, such as layman's terms, that patients and their families can easily understand.
  • It uses common or standard terminology when communicating with team members.

Effective communication is brief and concise.

Effective communication is timely.

  • It offers and requests information.
  • It avoids compromising a patient's situation by promptly relaying information.
  • It notes times of observations and interventions in the patient's record.
  • It updates patients and families frequently.
  • It verifies the recipient received the intended message.
  • It validates or acknowledges information received.

An example of effective communication is applying the four elements to a well-written discharge prescription. It should be:

  • Complete—It includes medication, dosage, and frequency;
  • Clear—It is plainly written and legible;
  • Brief—It contains only the necessary information; and
  • Timely—It is written before discharge and filled when the patient is ready to leave the hospital.

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Slide 5. Elements That Affect Communication and Information Exchange

Interruptions. Task absorption. Verbal abuse. Fatigue. Not following plan of care. Ambiguous orders or directions. Change in team members. Work load.

Say:

Several elements can affect communication and information exchange.

  • Interruptions limit the ability of team members to discuss and comprehend necessary information.
  • Staff conversing on certain tasks to the exclusion of all others reduces the focus of unit team efforts.
  • Verbal abuse creates a hostile environment in which team members do not feel comfortable sharing ideas or collaborating to solve an issue.
  • Fatigue decreases the level of attention and energy that team members are able to devote to the project.
  • Ambiguous orders or instructions cloud expectations and plans.
  • Change in team members strains existing work relationships between unit team members and the newest additions to the unit team.
  • Heavy workloads hinder clear communication.

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Slide 6. Communication Breakdowns Cause Treatment Delays3

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Say:

Communication breakdowns are identified as the primary root cause of treatment delays in the health care environment. According to The Joint Commission, these errors are reported 86 percent of the time and represent the majority of repairable defects within the hospital unit.

Other root causes for delays in treatment are:

  • Patient assessment (77%),
  • Continuum of care (52%),
  • Orientation and training (41%),
  • Availability of information (39%).
  • Competency and credentialing (35%).

And, as this slide shows, there are many other causes of treatment delays.

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Slide 7. Communication Breakdowns Cause Infection-Associated Events3

Root causes of infection-associated events (2005). A. Communication (75%). B. Environmental Safety/Security (50%). C. Continuum of Care (39%). D. Competency or Credentialing (38%). E. Procedural Compliance (38%). F. Patient Assessment (25%). G. Leadership. (25%). H. Staffing (13%). I. Availability of Information. (13%). J. Orientation and Training (12%). K. Organization and Culture (12%).

Say:

Communication breakdowns are also recognized as the chief root cause of infection-associated events within the health care setting. According to The Joint Commission, these errors are reported 75 percent of the time and represent the vast majority of repairable defects within the hospital unit.

Other identified root causes for infection-associated events are:

  • Environmental safety or security (50%).
  • Continuum of care (39%).
  • Competency or credentialing (38%).
  • Procedural compliance (38%).

And, as this slide shows, there are many other causes of infection-associated events.

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Slide 8. Exercise

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Do:

Think of a defect that occurred on your unit because of a communication breakdown.

Using the standards of effective communication, list three or four ways to reduce the risk of similar defects from occurring.

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Slide 9. Barriers to Team Effectiveness1

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Say:

There are many barriers to effective team performance.

Working condition barriers include:

  • Lack of coordination or follow up.
  • Distractions.
  • Misinterpretation of cues.
  • Hierarchy.
  • Lack of clarity on rules and responsibilities.
  • Physical proximity.
  • Shift changes.

Resource barriers include:

  • Lack of time.
  • Workload.
  • Processes.
  • Technology.

Team composition barriers include:

  • Inconsistency in team membership.
  • Lack of role clarity.
  • Defensiveness.
  • Conventional thinking.
  • Conflict.
  • Fatigue.
  • Complacency.
  • Varying communication styles.
  • Personality.

Ask:

Can you provide examples of how some of these barriers might influence your unit?

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Slide 10. Positive Outcomes of Effective Teamwork on Health Care4

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Say:

Effective teamwork has a positive effect on health care, and is associated with:

  • Reduced length of stay.
  • Higher rates of quality care.
  • Better patient outcomes.
  • A greater ability to meet family member needs.
  • Improved patient experience with care scores.
  • Lower rates of nurse turnover.

By taking the time to engage in effective communication, team members can contribute to the safety of their unit for their colleagues and patients.

Ask:

Can you think of a time when effective teamwork had a positive effect in your unit?

Slide 11. Shadowing

Helps: Team members gain perspective of other roles. Identify issues affecting teamwork and communication that may affect patient care, patient care delivery, and outcomes. Who should shadow? Unit teams using CUSP. Staff of patient care units where culture scores indicate a poor score in teamwork and safety. Units with little collaboration between disciplines. 

Say:

Using the Shadowing Another Professional Tool is a way to examine and understand the cultural differences that exist between various professions. The individuals who shadow and who are shadowed may rotate based on specific unit challenges. Executives, physicians, nurse managers, infection preventionists, bedside clinicians, and unit support staff approach issues in distinct ways, and shadowing provides everyone an opportunity to experience these differences.

Shadowing allows individuals to experience the work culture of their colleagues and gain a deeper appreciation for the demands and challenges of each role. Shadowing often helps expand an individual's interest and willingness to participate in improvement projects. Team members who shadow gain perspective of other roles, environments, and areas that are different from their own.

These areas include practice, responsibilities, and work environment.

Teams can integrate shadowing into their daily activities by using administrative or personal development time. Shadowing aids in the professional development of unit team members by providing them the background needed to identify issues that affect teamwork and communication. These problems can impair the quality of care and outcomes for a patient.

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Slide 12. Daily Goals Checklist

This tool is used by team members to improve communication among the patient’s care team and family members regarding the patient’s plan of care. The checklist provides a care plan that prompts health care staff to focus on tasks to accomplish that day to safely progress the patient closer to discharge. People and organizations that create explicit objectives, and provide feedback toward goals, achieve more results than groups that do not communicate defects. Discussion during rounds is divergent (brainstorming) rather than convergent (following an explicit plan). 

Say:

The Daily Goals Checklist provides a structured means to improve communication among unit team members and the patient and the patient's family. The checklist is a care plan that prompts all staff to focus on what must be accomplished that day to safely move the patient closer to discharge.

This tool also offers providers a structured method to carry out a care plan for their patients. The checklist helps staff move away from divergent thinking and shift toward convergent thinking when following the patient's care plan.

Please note that this tool should be modified to fit your team's needs.

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Slide 13. Daily Goals

Video icon

Do:

Play the video.

Ask:

  • How is the team planning to use the Daily Goals Checklist?
  • Why does the team decide to use the Daily Goals Checklist?

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Slide 14. How to Use the Daily Goals Checklist

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Say:

When using the Daily Goals Checklist, unit teams should:

  • Be explicit, and
  • Ask important questions such as:
    • What needs to be done to move the patient closer to discharge?
    • What will we do for the patient today?
    • What are the patients' greatest safety risks?

This approach will help ensure the discussion is centered on the patient's needs.

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Slide 15. Using the Daily Goals Checklist

Video icon. 

Do:

Play the video.

Ask:

  • What guidelines are included on the Daily Goals Checklist?
  • What event does the nurse suggest the team use the Daily Goals Checklist to coordinate? Why?
  • Who does the doctor suggest sharing the checklist with during rounds? Why?

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Slide 16. Selected TeamSTEPPS Tools1

A table showing four components of effective teams, In the first column, Leadership tools include brief, huddle, debrief, In the second column, Situation Monitoring tools include STEP and I'M Safe, In the third column, Mutual Support tools include Task Assistance, Feedback, Advocacy and Assertion, Two-Challenge Rule, DESC Script, CUS, and Collaboration, In the fourth column, Communication Tools include SBAR, Call-Out, Check-Back, and Handoff (I-PASS the BATON), TeamSTEPPS logo and penguin. 

Say:

Units can use the TeamSTEPPS tools listed on this slide to improve communication and teamwork. We'll review each of them briefly.

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Slide 17. Briefing1

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Say:

Briefings are held among team members for planning purposes.

A briefing immediately:

  • Maps out the care plan for one or more patients.
  • Identifies each team member's roles and responsibilities for the safety of the patient.
  • Heightens the team's awareness of a situation.
  • Permits the team to plan for the unexpected.
  • Allows team members' needs and expectations to be met so they can work effectively.
  • Sets the tone for the day.
  • Encourages team members' participation in an activity or task that is scheduled to take place.

Briefings are conducted:

  • At the beginning of the day shift.
  • Before any procedure in any setting.
  • When a change in patient status results in deviation from the plan of care.
  • During reporting-off breaks and shift changes.

The tools for situational and excess shift adjustments call for slightly different reporting tools, but briefings remain the standard format for delivering information that is clear and correct.

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Slide 18. Briefing in Action

Video icon

Do:

Play the video.

Ask:

  • During the briefing, what does the team review?
  • After the review, what concern does the nurse bring up to the team?
  • According to the pharmacist, what are the positive outcomes from the team's use of the Daily Goals Checklist?

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Slide 19. Huddle1

Employs ad hoc planning to re-establish situational awareness, reinforce plans that are already in place, and assess any need to adjust the plan. Gathers team members to review patient data and decide on a course of action. Can be requested by any team member at any time. Uses the SBAR tool frequently. 

Say:

The huddle serves as a method for generating a shared understanding among team members regarding the plan of care when situational changes mandate the reassessment of plans and goals. Huddles also present team leaders with an opportunity to informally monitor patient- and unit-level situations by gathering the team to discuss a situation and collectively develop a plan.

Updates can take the form of a huddle at the status board or can occur among individual team members whenever new information needs to be shared.

Here is an example of a huddle:

On a very busy evening shift, the ICU Green Team has four patients. During a huddle, the team leader decides that Patient A can be transferred to the step-down unit if his arterial blood gasses after extubation are acceptable. The team is also alerted about an elderly patient with severe pneumonia who is being admitted from the ED.

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Slide 20. Debriefing1

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Say:

Debriefings are information exchange sessions that are designed to improve team performance and effectiveness with each use.

Debriefings answer these questions:

  • What went well?
  • What should change?
  • What do we need to improve?

As such, debriefings include:

  • An accurate recounting and documenting of key events.
  • An analysis of why an event occurred, what worked, and what did not work,.
  • A discussion of lessons learned and how staff will alter the plan next time.
  • The establishment of a method to formally change the existing plan to incorporate lessons learned.

Debriefings are most effective when conducted in an environment in which genuine mistakes are viewed as learning opportunities. The team leader typically initiates and facilitates debriefings, which are most useful when they relate to specific team goals or address particular issues related to recent team actions.

When conducting a debriefing, address the following questions:

  • Is communication clear?
  • Are roles and responsibilities understood?
  • Is situational awareness maintained?
  • Is the workload distributed equally?
  • Is task assistance requested or offered?
  • Were errors made or avoided?
  • Are resources available?

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Slide 21. STEP1

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Say:

STEP is a tool for monitoring situations in the delivery of health care. The components of situation monitoring to be aware of and assess the:

  • Status of the patient, including history, vital signs, medications, physical exam, plan of care, and psychosocial status.
  • Level of team members' fatigue, workload, task performance, skill, and stress levels.
  • Environment, including information about the facility and its administration, human resources, triage acuity, and equipment.
  • Progress toward established team goals and toward knowing the status of the team's patients, and the team's tasks and actions, as well as performing an assessment of whether plans to reach the goals are still appropriate.

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Slide 22. I'M Safe1

I = Illness. M	= Medication. S	= Stress. A	= Alcohol and Drugs. F = Fatigue. E	= Eating and Elimination. 

Say:

I'M SAFE is a simple checklist that helps you determine your and your coworkers' ability to perform safely.

I stands for illness. Ask: “Am I feeling well enough to perform my duties?”

M stands for medication. Ask: “Am I taking a medication that could affect my ability to maintain situation awareness and perform my duties?”

S stands for stress. Ask: “Is there anything that is detracting from my ability to focus and perform my duties?

A stands for alcohol and drugs. Ask: “Is my use of alcohol or illicit drugs affecting me so that I cannot focus on the performance of my duties?”

F stands for fatigue. Ask:”Am I rested enough to perform my duties?

And E stands for eating and elimination. Ask: “Has it been 6 hours since I have eaten or used the restroom?” Not taking care of our dietary and elimination needs affects our ability to concentrate and stresses us physiologically.

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Slide 23. Task Assistance1

Team members protect each other from work overload situations. Effective teams place all offers and requests for assistance in the context of patient safety. Team members foster a climate where it is expected that assistance will be actively sought and offered.

Say:

Task assistance is a form of mutual support among team members that also supports patient safety. By preventing work overload and by promoting, acknowledging, and acting on offers and requests for assistance, team members protect both themselves and their patients from stress and harm.

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Slide 24. Feedback1

Timely—given soon after the target behavior has occurred. Respectful—focus on behaviors, not personal attributes. Specific—be specific about what behaviors need correcting. Directed toward improvement—provide directions for future improvement. Considerate—consider a team member’s feelings and deliver negative information with fairness and respect.

Say:

Feedback, as a form of mutual support, is information provided for the purpose of improving team performance. To be effective and to promote a supportive climate, feedback must be:

  • Timely.
  • Respectful.
  • Specific to the behavior.
  • Directed toward improvement.
  • Considerate.

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Slide 25. Advocacy and Assertion1

Advocacy and assertion are used to support the patient when a team member’s viewpoints do not coincide with those of the decision maker   
When advocating for the patient, team members should assert their opinion in a firm and respectful manner, providing evidence or data to support their concerns. An assertive statement should: Open the discussion. State the concern. State the problem—real or perceived. Offer a solution. Obtain an agreement. 

Say:

Team members invoke advocacy and assertion interventions when their viewpoints do not coincide with that of a decisionmaker. In advocating for the patient and asserting a corrective action, the team member has an opportunity to correct errors or the loss of situational awareness. Failure to employ advocacy and assertion frequently has been identified as a major contributor to the clinical errors found in malpractice cases and sentinel events.

You should advocate for the patient even when your viewpoint is unpopular, is in opposition to another person's view, or questions authority. When advocating, asserting your viewpoint in a firm and respectful manner is imperative. You should also be persistent and persuasive, providing evidence or data to support your concerns.

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Slide 26. Two-Challenge Rule1

 Used when there is an information conflict and an initial assertion is ignored. Rule requires team members to state their observation at least twice to ensure that their interests and observations are being addressed. The Two-challenge Rule empowers any team member to stop the action if he or she senses, or discovers, an essential safety breach that hinders patient well-being.

Say:

You should voice your concerns using advocating and asserting statements at least twice if your initial assertion is ignored, thus the name “Two-Challenge Rule.” These two attempts may come from the same person or two team members. The first challenge should be in the form of a question. The second challenge should provide some support for your concern for the patient. The two-challenge tactic ensures an expressed concern has been heard, understood, and acknowledged.

There may be times when an initial assertion is ignored. After two attempts, if the concern is still disregarded but you believe patient or staff safety is or may be severely compromised, the Two-Challenge Rule mandates taking a stronger course of action or enlisting the help of a supervisor. This overcomes our natural tendency to believe the medical team leader must always know what he or she is doing, even when the actions depart from established guidelines. When invoking this rule and moving up the hierarchy, you need to communicate to the entire clinical team that you have solicited additional input.

If you are challenged by a team member, you must acknowledge the concerns and not ignore the person. All team members should be empowered to “stop the line” if they sense or discover a fundamental safety breach. This is an action that should never be taken lightly but requires the process to immediately cease to resolve the safety issue.

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Slide 27. DESC Script1

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Say:

The DESC script can be used to communicate efficiently during all types of conflict and is most effective in resolving personal conflict. The DESC script is used in high-conflict scenarios in which behaviors are not practiced, hostile or harassing behaviors are ongoing, and safe patient care is suffering.

DESC is a mnemonic device:

  • D stands for describe—Describe the specific situation.
  • E stands for express—Express your concerns about the action.
  • S stands for suggest—Suggest other alternatives and seek agreement.
  • And C stands for consequences—Consequences, in terms of established team goals, should be stated.

Ultimately, by using the DESC script, an agreeable solution should be developed by the team members.

There are some crucial things to consider when using the DESC script:

  • Time the discussion.
  • Despite your interpersonal conflict, team unity and care quality depend on coming to a resolution that all parties find acceptable.
  • Frame problems in terms of personal experience and lessons learned.
  • A private location away from the patient or other team members will allow both parties to focus on resolving the conflict rather than on saving face.
  • “I” statements, instead of blaming statements, are more effective (i.e., “If you are concerned or have a question regarding my performance, I would appreciate it if you would speak to me in private.").
  • Accept that a critique is not a personal criticism.
  • The conversation should focus on what is right, not who is right.

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Slide 28. CUS1

 I am CONCERNED! I am UNCOMFORTABLE! This is a SAFETY ISSUE!

Say:

CUS is an acknowledgment of an unsafe situation. When you use CUS, you state your concern, you state why you are uncomfortable, and then you state that this is a safety issue.

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Slide 29. Collaboration1

 Achieves a mutually satisfying solution resulting in the best outcome. Win-Win-Win for patient care team (includes the patient, team members, and team). Commitment to a common mission. Meet goals without compromising relationships.

Say:

Collaboration is defined as the act of working together with one or more people to achieve a goal. When unit teams collaborate, they have a commitment to a common mission, which they are more likely to reach as a group rather than as isolated individuals.

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Slide 30. SBAR1

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Say:

The SBAR technique provides a standardized framework for members of the team to communicate about a patient's condition.

SBAR is an easy-to-remember, concrete mechanism that is useful for framing any conversation, especially a critical discussion requiring a clinician's immediate attention and action. In phrasing a conversation with another member of the team, consider the following:

  • Situation—What is happening with the patient?
  • Background—What is the clinical background?
  • Assessment—What do I think the problem is?
  • Recommendation—What action would I recommend?

You may also refer to this as the ISBAR where the I stands for “introductions.”

  • Introduction—What is your name and role on the team?

Slide 31. Call-Out1

 A  strategy used to communicate critical information to all team members to prepare them for the upcoming procedures. Informs all team members simultaneously. Helps team members anticipate next steps. Directs responsibility to a specific individual accountable for carrying out the task.

Say:

A call-out is a tactic used to convey critical information during an emergency. Critical information called out in these situations helps the team anticipate and prepare for vital next steps in patient care. One important aspect of a call-out is directing the information to a specific individual.

Example:

The nurse says to the doctor, “Doctor, the patient's blood pressure is dropping; it is 60/40.”

The doctor replies, “Run fluids wide open and start the dopamine drip, please.”

Ask:

On your unit, what information would you want called out?

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Slide 32. Check-Back1

 Diagram depicting how check-back works: The sender initiates a message to the receiver, who loops back his or her understanding and feedback to the sender. The sender then verifies the message was received. TeamSTEPPS logo and penguin.

Say:

A check-back is a closed-loop communication strategy used to verify and validate information exchanged between two people. The strategy entails the sender initiating a message, the receiver accepting the message and confirming what was communicated, and the sender verifying the correct message was received.

The message sender calls out information about the patient (for example, by saying, “BP is falling, 80/40 down from 90/60.”). The receiver acknowledges receipt of this message by confirming the information (for example, by saying, “Yes, the BP is falling”). The sender can now verify the correct message was received (for example by saying, “That's correct”). The sender and receiver both know information was communicated correctly.

Slide 33. Handoff1

Transfer of information, along with authority and responsibility, during transitions in care across the continuum, and includes an opportunity to ask questions, clarify, and confirm. Tool used: I PASS the BATON.

Say:

When a team member is temporarily or permanently relieved of duty, there is a risk that necessary information about the patient might not be shared with the replacement provider. The handoff strategy is designed to enhance information exchange at critical times, such as during transitions in care. Handoffs maintain the continuity of care despite changing staff and patients.

Handoffs include transferring knowledge and information about the degree of uncertainty (or certainty) about diagnoses, response to treatment, recent changes in condition and circumstances, and the care plan (including contingencies). In addition to patient care guidelines, both authority and responsibility are transferred from one team member to the next, making the handoff a crucial component of ensuring high-quality patient care.

A proper handoff includes the following components:

  • Responsibility—When handing off, it is your responsibility to know that the person who must accept responsibility is aware of assuming responsibility.
  • Accountability—You are accountable for patient care until both parties are aware of the transfer of responsibility.
  • Uncertainty—When uncertainty exists, you are responsible for clearing up all ambiguity of responsibility before the transfer is completed.
  • Verbal communication—You cannot assume that the person obtaining responsibility will read or understand written or nonverbal communications.
  • Acknowledgment—Until it is acknowledged that the handoff is understood and accepted, you cannot relinquish your responsibility.
  • Opportunity—Handoffs are a good time to review and have a new pair of eyes evaluate the situation for both safety and quality.

Ask:

When do you typically use handoffs in your unit?

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Slide 34. I PASS the BATON1

 Text Description is below the image.

Say:

I PASS the BATON is an option for structured handoffs. This mnemonic device assists frontline providers with sharing patient information during critical transition periods, huddles, and team rounds. For “I PASS”:

  • I stands for introduction—Introduce yourself and your role or job (include the patient).
  • P stands for patient—Provide the patient's name, identifiers, age, sex, and location.
  • A stands for assessment—Present the chief complaint, vital signs, symptoms, and diagnosis.
  • S stands for situation—Give the current status and circumstances, including code status, level of uncertainty, recent changes, and response to treatment.
  • And the second S stands for safety concerns—Provide critical lab values or reports, socioeconomic factors, allergies, and alerts (falls, isolation, etc.).

For “BATON”:

  • B stands for background—Provide co-morbidities, previous episodes, current medications, and family history.
  • A stands for actions—Tell what actions were taken or are required and provide a brief rationale.
  • T stands for timing—Provide the level of urgency and explicit timing and prioritization of actions.
  • O stands for ownership—Tell who is responsible (nurse, doctor, or team) and include patient and family responsibilities.
  • And N stands for next—Tell what will happen next, anticipated changes, the plan, and any contingency plans.

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Slide 35. Situational Awareness1

When team members use situational awareness, they: Know the game plan through briefings and team management (e.g., workload and workflow management, task coordination, policies, and procedures). Have an understanding of what’s going on and what is likely to happen next. Check-back and verify information. Provide ongoing updates–briefings, call-outs, and check-backs. Implement team huddles.

Say:

Situational awareness occurs when members of the team have a grasp of what is happening and what will likely happen next. Having this shared information will ensure the group takes the appropriate next steps together.

Using situational awareness, unit teams become more alert to developing situations, more sensitive to cues, and more aware of their implications with a focus on:

  • Preparation, and planning and vigilance.
  • Workload distribution.
  • Distraction avoidance.

Focusing on these areas help improve team equality and support because team members share the responsibility of providing high-quality patient care with their colleagues and become further engaged in helping the team reach its safety goals.

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Slide 36. Implement Teamwork and Communication: What the Team Needs to Do

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Say:

To further develop and support teamwork and communication, your team will need to:

  • Identify opportunities to enhance these by reviewing barriers the team noted while learning from a safety defect.
  • Discuss with frontline providers how and where they want to improve communication.
  • Select a tool that best addresses providers' concerns.
  • Use teamwork and communication tools and incorporate them into team meetings and offer other relevant project processes.

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Slide 37. Summary

Text Description is below the image.

Say:

In summary:

  • Effective communication plays an integral role in the delivery of high-quality, patient-centered care.
  • Barriers to efficient teamwork and communication influence the outcomes of the unit team and patient care.
  • Research supports the connection between communication errors and errors in patient care delivery.
  • CUSP and TeamSTEPPS have tools and strategies that unit teams can employ to improve the effectiveness of teamwork and communication on their units.

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Slide 38. Additional CUSP Tools

Morning Briefing. Observing Patient Rounds. Team Check-up Tool.

Say:

In addition to the information presented in this module, CUSP tools are available online on the AHRQ Web site: www.ahrq.gov/cusptoolkit/.

Some of the tools that will help the unit team understand teamwork and communication are a morning briefing, observing patient rounds, and the Team Check-up Tool.

Morning briefing

A morning briefing is a conversation between two or more people using concise and relevant information to endorse effective communication and planning before patient rounds in the unit. This tool provides physicians and nurses a structured approach to review problems that may have occurred during the previous shift, assess the anticipated workload for the coming shift (such as new patients, patient discharges, and patient procedures), and create a communication plan to address any identified issues that may happen during the day. Unit teams can complete this tool each morning during patient rounds.

Observing patient care rounds

Evidence suggests that teamwork and communication affect both staff morale and patient care delivery. Observing patient rounds is a process to objectively gauge and improve teamwork dynamics across and between disciplines, to identify areas in which communication could be more explicit in setting daily patient goals, and to provide a method to continually build communication skills.

Team Check-up Tool

The Team Check-up Tool provides a standardized method for engaging in discussions about culture within the hospital. Unit teams first assess culture before starting an intervention, then use feedback from frontline providers to identify potential barriers to overcome, as well as strengths that can be better used. This tool can be used to target a goal for improvement shortly after the culture assessment and then every 3 to 6 months, or as needed, to initiate culture conversations, evaluate cultural issues (between survey administrations), and monitor the progress of culture change.

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Slide 39. References

References.

References

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Current as of August 2012


Internet Citation:

Learn About CUSP. Text Version of Slide Presentation. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD. http://www.ahrq.gov/cusptoolkit/6teamwork/teamworknotes.htm


 

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