Question
What can functional teams in healthcare provide?
Answer
Functional teams possess specific characteristics, and I will cover their functions and dysfunctions and provide you with tools to navigate these dynamics. In healthcare, being a nomad can be powerful as it allows you to explore different units within the hospital. This enables you to observe how different units function, understand their collective behavior, and identify any deficits that may exist. However, at the core of functional teams lies trust. Trust facilitates effective communication, ensuring that information is conveyed in a way that promotes action. Functional teams also create a supportive work environment, strive for happy and functional working conditions, and possess the ability to collaborate despite limited resources. They foster positive emotional and psychological safety within the hospital.
Moreover, functional teams have the capacity to perform their jobs and share knowledge, resources, tools, and training while working together cohesively for the benefit of patients and the unit as a whole. They exhibit coordination and collective effort in achieving their goals. Building trust within a team is essential, and effective communication plays a pivotal role in this process. Teaching people how to treat you and setting expectations of behavior around you are crucial aspects of fostering trust.
This Ask the Expert is an edited excerpt from the course, Oscillating Between Dysfunction and Function in Healthcare, presented by Tabitha Ogle, MS, BCC, RRT.
