Nursing Team Dynamics: Communication, Culture, Collaboration

There is abundant evidence verifying that patients benefit when nurses communicate better; therefore improving team dynamics will positively impact patient care and improve nurse engagement resulting in many positive outcomes for teams. This applied action research study assessed the research question: "What is the experience of team work and team dynamics among members of a multidisciplinary nursing team from a Licensed Practical Nurse perspective?" The experiences of licensed practical nurses (LPNs) and key external leaders (KELs) are explored and analyzed drawing from current literature in the field of teams in health, organizational culture in health, and transformative learning in health. Historical and leading communication, organizational culture, and leadership theories guide this study. During focus groups and interviews, the researcher and participants were influenced to generate new knowledge and insight on team dynamics, through appreciative inquiry. Manifest and latent content analysis identified key themes within each of the subtopic themes, generating a number of recommendations for future action. Through the identification of similar and unique perspectives between the literature and participants in this study, the action research goals of empowerment and emancipation of team members was dynamically met for research participants.;Keywords: nursing; team dynamics; communication; collaboration; culture; leadership...