1. What are the characteristics of effective healthcare teams?
Effective Teams
What are the characteristics of effective healthcare teams?

2. Good Interpersonal Relationships
Must understand the role of each member of the team.
Why? Could something go wrong if team members don’t understand their roles.
Teacher notes:
Students will be able to come up with reasonable examples of what can go wrong when team members don’t understand who should be doing what in caring for patients. For example, they might suggest that things (procedures, treatments) can be missed if everyone assumes someone else is doing it. Also, role understanding is critical to following the chain of command.

3. Good Interpersonal Relationships
Team members participate in patient care conferences.
What is the most effective way to discuss patient care?
Teacher notes:
Begin by sharing a personal experience of your own participation in patient care conferencing. What are some different ways it is done? After talking about different approaches, what do students think is the most effective?

4. Good Interpersonal Relationships
Effective teams are a mix of culture and ethnicity, gender, age, beliefs and education.
Why does diversity contribute to an effective team?
Teacher notes:
Student responses will vary and should be very interesting. Encourage different points of view.

5. Good Interpersonal Relationships
Golden Rule – Treat team members as you would want to be treated.
You are a health science student working in a clinical area. How do YOU want to be treated?
Teacher notes:
Ask students, generally speaking, do you treat others as you would like to be treated?
Is there a hierarchy in healthcare? Because someone has more education, is he/she “better” than those who are lower on the chain of command?

6. Staff Meetings Share ideas and information.
Team members should arrive on time and participate.
Contribute to the process.
Teacher notes:
Ask students if they think health team members ever avoid staff meetings. Why?

7. Team Member Characteristics
Be enthusiastic.
Why?
Project a positive attitude.
Teacher notes:
Talking about “why” will help students learn, and remember, important team member characteristics. For each characteristic, have students suggest why that characteristic is important.

8. Team Member Characteristics
Become a problem solver.
Why?
Do more than expected.
Teacher notes:

9. Team Member Characteristics
Be friendly and cooperative
Why?
Listen carefully when others are sharing ideas.
Teacher notes:

10. Team Member Characteristics
Be open-minded and willing to compromise.
Why?
Support and encourage team members.
Teacher notes:

11. Team Member Characteristics
Communicate effectively.
Why?
Teacher notes: