Defining Components of Team Leadership and Membership in Prehospital Emergency Medical Services

Teamwork is critical for patient and provider safety in high-stakes environments, including the setting of prehospital emergency medical services (EMS).

We sought to describe the components of team leadership and team membership on a single patient call where multiple EMS providers are present.

We conducted a two-day focus group with nine subject matter experts in crew resource management (CRM) and EMS using a structured nominal group technique (NGT). The specific question posed to the group was, "What are the specific components of team leadership and team membership on a single patient call where multiple EMS providers are present?" After round-robin submission of ideas and in-depth discussion of the meaning of each component, participants voted on the most important components of team leadership and team membership.

Through the NGT process, we identified eight components of team leadership: a) creates an action plan; b) communicates; c) receives, processes, verifies, and prioritizes information; d) reconciles incongruent information; e) demonstrates confidence, compassion, maturity, command presence, and trustworthiness; f) takes charge; g) is accountable for team actions and outcomes; and h) assesses the situation and resources and modifies the plan. The eight essential components of team membership identified included: a) demonstrates followership, b) maintains situational awareness, c) demonstrates appreciative inquiry, d) does not freelance, e) is an active listener, f) accurately performs tasks in a timely manner, g) is safety conscious and advocates for safety at all times, and h) leaves ego and rank at the door.

This study used a highly structured qualitative technique and subject matter experts to identify components of teamwork essential for prehospital EMS providers. These findings and may be used to help inform the development of future EMS training and assessment initiatives.