White Plains Hospital TeamSTEPPS Success Story
TeamSTEPPS aligns with White Plains Hospital’s organizational goals for improvement, with its focus on leadership, situation monitoring, mutual support and communication. All nursing team members complete TeamSTEPPS training during orientation, and existing clinical staff also may attend these sessions. Additionally, the surgical services, maternal child health and radiology teams requested and received TeamSTEPPS training for all staff, along with many advanced practice providers.
Background
- Not-for-profit hospital serving Westchester County, N.Y., and surrounding areas as part of the Montefiore Health System.
- Implemented TeamSTEPPS in 2017 as one strategy to improve communication and foster a sense of psychological safety and improve patient safety.
Approach & Goals
- Being “exceptional” through effective communication and teamwork, particularly in rapid response and code situations.
- Ensuring all nursing staff complete a TeamSTEPPS Essentials course during orientation.
- Providing training to meet the needs of entire clinical teams when requested.
Actions Taken
- Offers the TeamSTEPPS Essentials course each month as an in-person, interactive format for all new nursing staff.
- Encourages individual departments to schedule TeamSTEPPS training to meet their own team’s needs.
- In all training sessions, focuses on preventing clinical errors by improving interdisciplinary and interteam communication.
- Uses SBAR worksheets for shift handoffs and transitions in levels of care with opportunity to ask/answer questions.
Positive Outcomes
- From 2017–2022, the rate of rapid response calls rose from 513 to 2,018 calls, a 293% increase.
- The hospital’s rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services increased from two stars in 2017 to five stars in 2022 and 2023.
- Achieved “Magnet” status for excellence in nursing for the third time from the American Nurses Credentialing Center.
- TeamSTEPPS supports the WPH Transition to Practice Nurse Residency program accreditation requirements.
Recommendations
- Continue with organizational commitment to onboarding new nurses and clinical staff with TeamSTEPPS training.
- Encourage use of TeamSTEPPS tools and strategies to improve communication and patient outcomes throughout the organization.
- Maintain a commitment to patient safety.
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