Evaluating efforts to optimize TeamSTEPPS implementation in surgical and pediatric intensive care units

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Patient Safety
• Teamwork in Medicine

Background:

• An evidence-based teamwork system, Team-STEPPS (Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety), was implemented in pediatric and surgical intensive care units (ICUs) at an academic medical center.
• The initiative aimed to enhance teamwork and patient care within these critical care environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the Team-STEPPS program implementation in improving teamwork, communication, and clinical outcomes in pediatric and surgical ICUs.
• To assess staff perceptions and observed team performance following the intervention.

Main Methods:

• A multidisciplinary change team developed and executed a customized action plan for Team-STEPPS implementation.
• Training was provided to frontline staff in the Pediatric ICU (PICU) and Surgical ICU (SICU).
• Evaluation involved staff interviews, teamwork observations, surveys, and analysis of clinical outcome data, including extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) placement times, rapid response team event durations, and nosocomial infection rates.

Main Results:

• Staff reported improved teamwork experiences and perceived the implementation as effective.
• Observed team performance significantly improved across core competencies at 1, 6, and 12 months post-implementation.
• Significant improvements were noted in communication openness, reduced ECMO placement times, and a decrease in nosocomial infection rates in both units.

Conclusions:

• The customized Team-STEPPS training program was successfully implemented in the PICU and SICU.
• The findings suggest that the Team-STEPPS intervention positively impacted teamwork, communication, and key clinical outcomes in these critical care settings.