„Those who work alone add. Those who work together multiply!“
This adage gets to the heart of teamwork: when each person in a work group knows their role and tasks while being attuned to the others, the team works productively. But how do individuals become a strong collective that functions in a goal-oriented manner? And what special features apply to geriatric care? We have compiled the most important aspects of teamwork:
Requirements must be right
There are a few things that have to be right in order to make good teamwork possible in the first place:
Team size
A soccer team consists of eleven players, a handball team of seven. So what is the ideal size for a team? The right size of a team is crucial for success. If it is insufficient, even team development can only help to a limited extent. Small teams are overburdened by sick leave or vacations, for example. Then it is understandable that the other workers feel stressed and are more easily irritable. On the other hand, a team should not be too large, because that would lose the trust that comes with a family atmosphere. And managing the internal organization becomes more difficult. Research shows: The ideal team size for optimal teamwork is between five and nine people.
Communication and emotion
In addition to size, communication is important for good teamwork. If there is no platform for addressing feelings, problems and successes, it becomes difficult to optimize collaboration within the group. For example, if a nurse has a suggestion on how to make medication dispensing easier, but she can’t bring up the idea, time is wasted. This working time could be put to more useful use elsewhere by everyone in the team. Not being heard also leads to frustration. If frustrating experiences accumulate, they lead to internal resignation. For this reason, team meetings should not be conducted solely on the business level. Instead, management should provide space to talk about fears, worries or defensive patterns. This clears the air of negative emotions and creates space for brainstorming and creative solutions.
Team development
It’s clear that a group of people is not automatically a team; it takes more than that. That’s why U.S. psychologist Bruce Tuckman has developed a four-phase model to help get started as a strong work group:
1. orientation phase (FORMING)
In the first phase, group members get to know each other. It is about finding out how the team should function. Questions like „What should I do?“ or „Where is my place in the network?“ come up. In a care facility, the joint work aims to ensure satisfaction and good care for home residents. In addition, there is the effort to make the workers feel comfortable and motivated to cooperate.
2. confrontation phase (STORMING)
The next phase serves to make goals clearer. The distribution of roles is formed. Not everyone has the same ideas, which is why conflicts can arise at this point. In many nursing homes, there are clear, fixed structures, but workers should still clarify questions such as „What is my relationship to my colleagues?“, „What are my specific tasks?“. Clear communication is particularly important here.
3. integration processes (NORMING)
At this point, the „we-feeling“ is formed. It is determined how the team wants to proceed. Important questions that come up at this stage are „In what way do we achieve the goal?“, „How do we want to treat each other?“ and „What values are important to us as a collective?“
4. Workplace (PERFORMING)
In the last phase, self-organization is especially central. The team is well-rehearsed and can approach work processes flexibly and creatively. There is a good, communicative atmosphere and mutual trust forms the basis for everyone to work together successfully.
Strengthening the „we“ feeling
The word team originally comes from Old English and carried the meaning „family“. In a family, everyone can be who they are and is accepted. Each family member is part of the whole. These points are also desirable in the work environment. Promoting collegial cohesion within the team not only improves the community, but also the work processes in the nursing home. Joint outings, a designated place for lunch breaks or regular team meetings can help connect the network of caregivers, aides, office staff and management. A well-coordinated team that knows and looks out for each other works effectively. Fewer misunderstandings occur.
Last but not least, a cordial tone should not be underestimated in any team. The work in nursing is always on an interpersonal level, which is why cordiality – be it with the resident or with colleagues – should be a matter of course.
