Lessons learned from a lateral violence and team-building intervention.

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Management
• Organizational Psychology

Background:

• Lateral violence often emerges in environments with weak leadership and undefined roles.
• Poorly defined expectations and processes can foster negative behaviors in healthcare settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance nurse satisfaction and group cohesion via unit-based interventions.
• To assess the impact of team-building on cohesive team functioning.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of lateral violence training and communication strategies on team cohesion.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental, pre-post intervention design was used with registered nurses (RNs) from four diverse patient care units.
• Interventions focused on addressing lateral violence and promoting team building.
• A qualitative component explored the intervention's impact on group dynamics.

Main Results:

• Post-intervention, significant improvements were observed in RNs' Group Cohesion Scale scores (P = .037) and RN-RN interaction scores.
• Group sessions successfully fostered trust, clarified roles, and encouraged staff involvement in decision-making.
• Positive interactions and accountability were emphasized through role-modeling.

Conclusions:

• An effective nurse manager is essential for driving and maintaining a cohesive healthcare environment.
• Sustained change requires strong leadership committed to fostering positive team dynamics.