Team Nursing to Increase Employee Satisfaction and Patient Safety

The purpose of the team nursing project was to increase patient satisfaction scores along with decrease number of call bells and number of falls for patients. Compliance with patient care bundling, white boards, and hourly rounding would also come into play with this project. This was to be accomplished through a team approach, TEAM: together everyone accomplishes more. Research confirms that an engaged, patient-centered workforce is the foundation for efficient, effective health care services.

The idea of team nursing for our 27-bed unit consists of 3 teams: A, B, and C. Each team has two nurses and one CNA for 9 patients. The nurses can split their group amongst the two nurses, or they both can "tag-team" the whole group along with the CNA. Either way, both nurses receive report for their team of patients and then divide and conquer from there based on acuity. When putting nurses on teams each day, the skill mix is considered to put a more seasoned nurse with the more novice nurse, or we put an LPN with an RN since we utilize LPNs in our budget.

With this project, our unit did not have to increase in additional positions but utilized positions for CNAs that became available after they retired. The team nursing project was intended to increase employee satisfaction, increase patient satisfaction, and increase patient safety, assuring basics of care are addressed.