Team dynamics in a COVID-19 intensive care unit: A qualitative study

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Critical Care Medicine
• Qualitative Research

Background:

• Newly established intensive care units (ICUs) during the COVID-19 pandemic comprised clinicians with potentially varying practice styles.
• Team dynamics in these novel ICU settings were a concern, impacting patient care and operational efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore clinician perceptions of team dynamics within a newly formed COVID-19 ICU.
• To identify challenges and potential improvements in team dynamics to inform future ICU preparedness.

Main Methods:

• Conducted 14 semistructured interviews with nurses and physicians in a newly formed medical ICU for COVID-19 patients.
• Employed a rapid analytic approach involving deductive and inductive thematic analysis of interview data.

Main Results:

• Identified two key themes impacting team dynamics: interpersonal factors (clinician interactions) and structural factors (workflow, organization).
• Clinicians suggested improvements such as optimized scheduling for familiar teams and standardization of care processes.

Conclusions:

• Interpersonal and structural factors significantly influenced team collaboration in a newly formed COVID-19 ICU.
• Attention to both interpersonal and structural elements is crucial for successful ICU reorganization and effective team dynamics.