Evaluating Teamwork in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit A Survey of Providers and Parents

Background: A unified vision of team mission, psychologically safe practice environment, effective communication, and respect among team members are key characteristics of an effective interdisciplinary neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) team. Purpose: A quality improvement team in a quaternary NICU surveyed parents, physicians, and nurses on perceptions of teamwork to identify opportunities for improvement. Design/Methods: Parents and healthcare staff (n = 113) completed an anonymous survey from May to July of 2014 to assess team roles and membership, team qualities, shared mission, psychological safety, hierarchy, communications, and conflict awareness. An expert panel assigned questions into one or more characteristics of team intelligence. Results: Physicians, nurses, and parents perceive their roles and the composition of the healthcare team differently. Most providers reported a shared mission and having a cooperative spirit as their teams' best attributes. While most nurses chose safety as most important, the majority of doctors chose treatment plan. Parents consider tenderness toward their infant, providing medical care and answers to their questions important. All expressed varying concerns about psychological safety, conflict resolution, and miscommunications. Implications for Research: This quality improvement report identifies aspects of team care delivery in NICUs that require further study. The concept of team intelligence and its impact on team effectiveness invites in-depth exploration.