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Setting Up a Stroke Team Algorithm and Conducting Simulation-based Training in the Emergency Department - A Practical Guide
Published on: January 15, 2017
Teams under pressure in the emergency department: an interview study
Lynsey Flowerdew1, Ruth Brown, Stephanie Russ
1Centre for Patient Safety and Service Quality, Imperial College, London, UK. l.flowerdew@imperial.ac.uk.
Emergency Medicine Journal : EMJ
|December 22, 2011
Summary
Emergency department (ED) staff face significant stressors like workload and shortages. Improving leadership and teamwork are key interventions to enhance ED team function and staff well-being.
Area of Science:
- Emergency Medicine
- Healthcare Management
- Occupational Psychology
Background:
- Emergency departments (EDs) experience high-pressure environments.
- Staff well-being is crucial for effective patient care and operational efficiency.
Purpose of the Study:
- Identify key stressors impacting ED staff.
- Examine behaviors under pressure.
- Propose interventions for improved ED team functioning.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative study utilizing semistructured interviews.
- Purposive sampling of diverse ED staff (doctors and nurses) at a London teaching hospital.
Main Results:
- Top stressors include the '4-hour' target, workload, staffing, and teamwork issues.
- Leadership and teamwork mediate stress impact.
- High pressure affects communication, oversight, and staff/patient management, with senior/junior staff misunderstandings noted.
Conclusions:
- ED staff face multifaceted stressors.
- Cost-efficient interventions focus on leadership, teamwork, breaks, stress management, and motivation.
- Medical education requires enhanced focus on 'non-technical' skills like leadership.
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