Date of Conferral

2017

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Diane Whitehead

Abstract

In response to the needs of patients, coupled with nursing workforce predictions and the pressure of cost containment, a shift to a new team nursing model of care has been seen in Canada and Australia. Today's patients require multiple resources, nurses with additional skillsets and vast amounts of experience during their hospital stays, and a team of nurses can meet these needs. This project explored the experiences and perspectives of nurses during the implementation of a team nursing model of care on a 32-bed, inpatient, cardiology floor in southern Ontario. The purposes of this project were to conduct a formative evaluation of the pilot unit implementation and make recommendations for future units who will implement this change in model. The project tracked all nurses on the pilot unit, from frontline nurses to those of influence and authority. Guided by an action research framework and a qualitative approach, nurses' experiences were explored through observations and analysis of organizational reports. These data were triangulated and further validated with evidence from the current literature. Major themes included the need for clear definitions of roles and responsibilities, a strong organizational support system, and the recognition that team nursing was more than a division of tasks but was a shift in culture to that of shared responsibility and accountability for all patients. These findings have implications for positive social change by informing the work of those in the health care setting, illuminating the benefits of team-based nursing.

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