Lifelong Learning Programme

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission.
This web site reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

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Training for Paediatricians and Paediatric Students

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This training package is addressed to students and medical practitioners in paediatrics on how to autonomously learn, develop and consolidate their soft skills for improving the quality of paediatric services.

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4.4 – Proactive and Constructive Teamwork: Cooperation to Build an Healthy Work Environment
Healthy work environment is associated with positive outcomes for patients and teamwork and is one of the most important challenges to improve healthcare systems. Several factors are at stake in order to implement an healthy environment, organizational practice, work plan and organizational culture. Healthy work environment is a work setting in which policies, procedures, and strategies are focused to improve teamwork performances and improve professionals’ satisfaction. Among the soft-skills required to contribute at the implementation of a good work environment communication skills, collaboration and leadership are the most important (Blake et al.; 2013). The definition of common goals and related responsibilities to allow them are the result of the interaction between staff members, this condition requires frequent meeting and a constant interchange of clinical knowledge, and clarity about the organizational role of each staff member (Freund & Darach-Zahavy, 2007). A high level of satisfaction with work activities is associated with a high level of affective commitment to the team, and this association is stronger when nurse-physician collaboration is higher. This aspect may play an important role in order to improve health work conditions and provide the most effective care possible (Galletta et al., 2016). Productive communication among staff members consents to allow better resolution to the complexity of decision making process, among the most important soft-skills to improve teamwork communication there are: 1) the capacity of collaboration, to engage dialog and identify strategy to solve problem; 2) credibility, avoid jargon and no precise terminology, interacting assertively yet respectful; 3) compassion, caring for patients, families, and team members, advocating for team member needs, respect; coordination, sign responsibilities, organize the team, mentorship, encouraging and evaluating team members inputs (McKay et al.; 1995). In order to have an efficient teamwork and an healthy work environment the following further soft skills are recommended: a) skilled communication, staff member must be skilled in communication at the same way than in matter of clinical knowledge; b) true collaboration, staff members must be focused to pursue and foster the teamwork collaboration; c) effective decision-making, staff must be values and committed in policy activities, direction and assessment of clinical care and lead organizational activities, each member will participate in reason of its corresponding role in the team and its corresponding knowledge and expertise; d) appropriate staffing, team member composition should respond to the patients needs and staff competences required to satisfy these needs; e) meaningful recognition, stuff members should recognize one each other for their added value to the teamwork; f) authentic leadership, leaders should be authentically engaged to build an healthy work environment (McCaffrey et al.; 2011).
The video is in English and subtitles in English are available
Practical Applications
Case scenario – 7 Health Care conflict management The case scenario is played in a simulation hospital with a health care team composed by a resident, a nurse, two pharmacists, a patient’s family member. The patient has been admitted for a shoulder’s pain, suspected heart attack. The scenario is an example of a lack of soft-skills required for an efficient teamwork, no leadership, no coordination, and no collaboration. The medical team shows the lack of capacity to plane a strategy in order to approach an emergency, information processes is confused and doesn´t consent an effective organization of the emergency intervention.
Soft skills in the video: the case scenario is characterized for the absence of soft-skills required for an effective teamwork: communication among team member is confused, collaboration is not focused on a common goal, decision-making is not shared, composition of team is not appropriate (there are two pharmacists) for a cardiologic emergency, there’s not meaningful recognition, neither authentic leadership, nurse is not coordinated with resident at the moment of CPR.
Case scenario 8 - Conflict in the health care setting Mr Hart a 59 years old accountant has been admitted to the Medical Centre for 5 days for bacterial endocarditis, an infection of the heart valve, the patient has a history of heart murmur and had a molar-extracted three weeks ago. Physician suspects the bacteria entered in the bloodstream at the time of his dental procedure. After a brief stay at ICU Mr Hart was transferred to the floor, Dr. Miller the internal medicine doctor determined the patient is ready to be discharged. The nurse Francisco Martinez received the Dr. Miller’s instruction to dispose the discharge. The conflict is due to a disagreement among key members about the content and the outcome of the task to be performed. Other aspect of conflict is how the work to be dived and which team member is responsible for which task. There is confusion about the task to be performed by the medical team. The video includes a detailed analysis of the conflict showed in the case scenario.
Soft skills in the video: scenario represents the lack of communication skills between the two doctors involved in the patient’s care. Absence of true collaboration, shared decision-making, meaningful recognition, authentic leadership, coordination among the most relevant in this scenario.
The video is in English and subtitles in English are available
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This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This web site reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.