Date of Award

2016

Degree Name

PhD Nursing

Dissertation Committee

Cynthia D. Connelly PhD, RN, FAAN, Chairperson; Ruth A. Bush, PhD, MPH; Karen Macauley, PhD, DNP, APRN

Keywords

Communication, Interprofessional, Pediatric, Safety, Teamwork, Training

Abstract

Patients receive higher quality and safer care when it is provided not just by experts, but also by expert teams. Unfortunately, deficiencies in teamwork and communication continue to be the most frequent contributor to adverse patient events. The Institute of Medicine, The Joint Commission, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality all advocate for training to improve teamwork and patient safety, but the methods and related expenses of team training initiatives vary considerably. Training variation has raised concern from those who seek to implement team training in a manner that will achieve the most return on investment.

The purpose of this study was to conduct a small scale feasibility study to examine the effectiveness of the 2-hour TeamSTEPPS Essentials® program incorporated into Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) curriculum relative to resuscitation performance, presence of specific teamwork behaviors and perceptions of teamwork when compared to control group members. Although there were no significant differences in resuscitation performance or teamwork behaviors, intervention group members reported significantly higher perceptions of teamwork than those in the control group. Incorporating teamwork training into an established PALS program was acceptable and efficient, and the results warrant a larger scale study.

Document Type

Dissertation: USD Users Only

Department

Nursing

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