Leadership, Teamwork, and Communication During a Busy Shift

Abstract

Working in an emergency department (ED) is a chaotic environment that requires focus in order to be effective in care delivery. Oftentimes there are multiple moving parts to patient care, and it can feel disjointed. For this reason, it is vital that all stakeholders in the patient care are on the same page and establish excellent communication. There are various techniques to effective communication, such as a closed-loop communication; however the goal is always for everyone involved to be on the same page in order for the best care to be delivered. This goal needs to be outlined with quality leadership from the care team, which in the emergency department is the responsibility of the emergency medicine physician. Effective leadership leads to effective teamwork. Once the leader of the care team has identified what the plan of action is for the patient, roles for each team member need to be assigned, and the plan needs to be put into action. A good example of this is TeamSTEPPS, which is often used to improve the quality and process of trauma resuscitations. Being an effective leader, participating in teamwork, and implementing efficient communication are all integral concepts in developing into the best emergency medicine physician an individual can be.