
Getting Started with TeamSTEPPS
TeamSTEPPS (Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety) is an evidence-based, proactive approach for addressing challenges in health care delivery and promoting a culture of safety.
This methodology is based on decades of experience and lessons learned from high reliability organizations such as military, aviation and nuclear power operations. These teamwork tools and skills have been proven to enhance communication efficiency, foster staff well-being, support culture change, and ultimately, improve patient outcomes. We have a variety of educational offerings and free resources to support today’s interprofessional workforce. Whether your team is small or large, clinical or nonclinical, TeamSTEPPS and AHA Team Training can help!
Why TEAMSTEPPS?
The cost of implementing TeamSTEPPS is minimal compared to the savings surrounding outcomes and satisfaction. Many studies have found that teamwork training can lead to a stronger culture of safety through:

Positive Change in Behaviors
- TeamSTEPPS training at a hospital system in New Jersey was associated with increased trust and empathy among team members. Team members reported individual role empowerment and stronger cohesion within the team.1

Cost Savings
- A team-based program integrated behavioral health into every patient visit and saved a hospital system $13 million per year.2

Increased Patient Satisfaction
- After efforts to improve interdepartmental teamwork at a Nashville health system, overall patient experience scores increased from a baseline of 64.41 to 79.71 one year later.3

Process Efficiencies
- TeamSTEPPS was associated with improved operating room efficiency, boosting on-time first start rates by 21% and decreasing mean case time by 12.7 minutes.4

Improved Outcomes
- TeamSTEPPS was implemented on a Women’s Health unit and saw a significant decrease in length of stay and the mortality index.5

Enhanced Staff Satisfaction
- An evaluation of a TeamSTEPPS implementation in an ICU found that teamwork improved and nurses planning to stay increased from 58% to 89% over 2 years’ time.6
TeamSTEPPS Training Options
References:
- Terregino, C.A., Jagpal, S., Parikh, P., Pradhan, A., Weber, P., Michaels, L., Nicastro, O., Escobar, J., & Rashid, H. (2023). Critical care teamwork in the future: the role of TeamSTEPPS® in the COVID-19 pandemic and implications for the future. Healthcare (Basel), 11(4):599.
- Reiss-Brennan, B., Brunisholz, K.D., Dredge, C., Briot, P., Grazier, K., Wilcox, A., Savitz, L., & James, B. (2016). Association of integrated team-based care with health care quality, utilization, and cost. JAMA, 316(8):826-834.
- Carlson, B., Graham, R., Stinson, B., & LaRocca, J. (2022). Teamwork that affects outcomes: a method to enhance team ownership. PXJ, 9(2):94-98.
- Weld, L.R., Stringer, M.T., Ebertowski, J.S., Baumgartner, T.S., Kasprenski, M.C., Kelley, J.C., Cho, D.S., Tieva, E.A., & Novak, T.E. (2015). TeamSTEPPS improves operating room efficiency and patient safety. Am J Med Qual, 31(5):408-14.
- Borckardt, J.J., Annan-Coultas, D., Catchpole, K., Wise, H., Mauldin, M., Ragucci, K., Scheurer, D., & Kascak, K. (2020). Preliminary evaluation of the impact of TeamSTEPPS® training on hospital quality indicators. J Interprof Educ Pract, 18.
- Krivanek, M.J, Dolansky, M.A., Goliat, L, & Petty, G. (2020). Implementing TeamSTEPPS to facilitate workplace civility and nurse retention. JNPD, 36(5):259-265.