Essay 3, (Scotty, Group 1)
The first tip that we could offer to the cardiac unit is “Communication is finding shared meaning”. This quote was created from a collection of ideas provided by the Edmonson (2003) paper that explains how teams with multidisciplinary specializations learn to flourish in environments that can have intense or stressful settings. The quote is used as a guide for people to find that shared meaning between their specialized disciplines and develop relationships based on those shared disciplines in order to work effectively in stressful or unpredictable situations. The paper from Lingard et al., (2004) they suggest adding a checklist system to improve team communication, this is key because it encourages the communication of critical information which allows for all members of the team to have all the accurate and explicit information and to assist in decisions being made because it allows for the cross checking during the checklist process.
The second tip we offer is “Trust the plan.” While it is understood things can go awry, or be unplanned, having one distinct plan that can be implemented by the whole team as necessary by the whole team is critical to success. According to Wooley et al., (2008) having experts on a team with little to no established plan leads to non-optimal performance and ultimately failure. In having a well-integrated team, plan, and a true understanding of that plan with everyone on the same page leads to the best success, especially in crucial situations in a cardiac unit.
The third tip to offer is “Improvise, adapt and overcome new challenges.” The reason for this tip primarily comes from the Edmonson (2003) paper. The paper states that the need for coordination is likely to intensify during any form of transition and or the implementation of new equipment or procedures. New members or practices may fail in scenarios that the team or teams are incapable of adjustment accordingly.
Works Cited
Lingard, L., Espin, S., Whyte, S., Regehr, G., Baker, G. R., Reznick, R., Bohnen, J., Orser, B.,
Doran, D., & Grober, E. (2004). Communication failures in the operating room: an
observational classification of recurrent types and effects. BMJ Quality & Safety, 13(5),
330-334.
Woolley, A. W., Gerbasi, M. E., Chabris, C. F., Kosslyn, S. M., & Hackman, J. R. (2008).
Bringing in the experts: How team composition and collaborative planning jointly shape
analytic effectiveness. Small Group Research, 39(3), 352-371
Edmondson, A. C. (2003). Speaking Up in the Operating Room: How Team Leaders Promote Learning in
Interdisciplinary Action Teams. Journal of Management Studies, 40(6), 1419–1452. doi:
10.1111/1467-6486.00386
I think it’s a good idea to formulate a standard practice for integrating information during an MICS procedure, in order to make full use of team members’ expertise, but how do you see this happening when something unexpected occurs? If something unexpected happens, the team would have to dispense with their normal plan and improvise. Your second tip seems like it would work well in conjunction with the third tip, then. Perhaps as the team adjusts to the increased coordination required of MICS procedures, they will have fewer unexpected occurrences, and be better able to follow their established plan.
I love the first little blurb, it really highlights how important it is to speak up if you’re confused and to ensure that all team members are on the same page before a procedure begins. I think that the last point you have, of improvisation could have been a bit confusing for some people, as improvisation in an OR during a team operation could lead to some issues. However, your explanation and meaning behind the message resonated with me and I think it is a great point to make as well. How would these be implemented in an actual OR?
Really well organized! Evidence was thorough and well explained!
Hello, I like the tips that you gave in this essay, and how you structured each of the paragraphs! I also agree that a group should find shared disciplines, a shared goal, and the flexibility to adjust to new situations/members. If this assignment required four tips, I think a tip about “collaborative planning” would tie in well with this essay. “Collaborate planning” is mentioned in the study by Whoolley (2008), where it is described is where a team communicates and coordinates different strategies to integrate the members’ work, based upon the skills of each member. This study lists two benefits to collaborative planning; first, it increases “…members’ awareness of their teammates’ task-relevant expertise…(and) second…to increase the degree to which all members…structure their work”(Whoolley, 2008). I think that these two benefits relate to two of your tips. First, awareness about teammates’ expertise may be connected to how they relate to one another (the “communication is finding shared meaning” tip); second, the planned structure of work relates to the team’s overall plan and goals for a project (the “trust the plan” tip). The “collaborative planning” concept would also be key to group adaptation, as the members would need to communicate and plan effectively to successfully adapt as a group.