Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/49872
Title: Teamwork : the perception of staff working within the Maltese intensive care setting.
Authors: Micallef Cann, Bernard
Keywords: Intensive care nursing -- Malta
Health care teams -- Malta
Medical care -- Malta
Medical personnel
Perception
Issue Date: 2011
Citation: Micallef Cann, B. (2011). Teamwork : the perception of staff working within the Maltese intensive care setting (Master's dissertation).
Abstract: Teamwork has a direct relationship to patient care and safety, as effective teamwork might address the never ending problem of staff shortages, the increase in patient expectations, the need for cost effectiveness and, most of all, aim to reduce errors. According to Wheelan, Burchill and Tilin (2003), there is a relationship between the level of teamwork and patient outcomes in intensive care units. They clearly put forth the importance of strategies to enhance and improve the level of teamwork and collaboration amongst health care professionals in intensive care (Whelan et al., 2003). Each year intensive care units around the world are expected to do more with less, due to the high costs these units incur countries and staff shortages (Thomas, Sexton & Helmreich, 2003). Effective teamwork in intensive care serves to address issues of staff shortages, higher patient expectations and cost reduction but most of all helps in reducing errors (Leortard, Graham & Bonacum, 2004; Thomas et al., 2003; West, Mays, Rafferty, Rowan & Sanderson, 2007). This study aimed to investigate the perceived level of teamwork within the intensive care units in order to highlight issues that might be addressed so as to ameliorate teamwork and in turn improve the health care service offered to intensive care patients. Thus, a descriptive cross sectional survey was adopted collecting both qualitative and quantitative data to target the aims and test the two hypotheses. Quantitative data were collected by means of a self administered likert form scale referred to as 'Aston Team Performance Inventory' (West, Markiewicz & Dawson, 2005). Moreover, qualitative data were collected through comments at the end of each questionnaire to clarify and where possible give rationale for the differences highlighted in the questionnaire. After the tool was piloted and psychometrically tested through test retest procedure, the full population of staff working within the Adult, Paediatric and Neonatal Intensive care units within the local acute general hospital were handed a team performance questionnaire (Aston Team Performance Inventory). The response rate was 77% with the majority of responses coming from the nursing profession. After statistically analyzing the data results were compared and contrasted with the retrieved research. Results showed a multitude of differences between perceptions of staff in all the domains of teamwork, and rejected both the first and second hypotheses. Differences between sub groups of professionals were explained and displayed in the form of graphs, tables and diagrams. Recommendations for educational institutions, the organisational structure of the intensive care units and for further research were delineated.
Description: M.SC.NURSING
URI: https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/49872
Appears in Collections:Dissertations - FacHSc - 2011
Dissertations - FacHScNur - 2011

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