I trained as a State Registered Nurse (SRN), which shows how many years ago that was! But I still remember my first day on duty as a student nurse on a surgical ward. I was put under the guidance of a wonderful nursing auxiliary, Margaret, who taught me so much about caring for people who were ill and also about teamwork. After the patients had been served their evening meal, Margaret said that I could take one of the leftover sausage rolls and eat it in the equipment room, so I took a plate, put a sausage roll on it and walked down the ward to the treatment room with it in my hand. Twenty minutes later Margaret relayed a message from the ward sister for me: eating patients' food and eating on the ward is not allowed! Margaret then explained the complexities of hierarchy, rules and teamwork—you were not ‘allowed’ to do this (and a number of other things), but you could do it, provided the ward sister did not see you doing it. Such was my initiation into the complexities of hierarchy and teamwork.
Nobody who works in a team is perfect and that includes you!
My experience on that first surgical ward taught me that I had a place within a team of people and provided I followed the rules—be they written or unwritten—then the team would support and care for me, which they did. Since then I have worked in many different teams and although most of these experiences have been positive, there are times when working in a team can be very frustrating. I acknowledge that for some of the time I would not only be the one feeling frustrated, but also be the one who caused frustration in others. This would be my first reflective point: nobody who works in your team is perfect and that includes you. If spend a few moments reflecting on what that means to you in practice, then you will arrive at two potential actions. First, that you have to be more forgiving to others and second, the need to recognise how your behaviour affects others. If you take those two action points seriously then you will transform not only how you work in a team, but also how you lead a team.
What causes frustrations in a team?
A few years ago I was employed by a Trust to help a number of teams work together in a more positive way, specifically focusing on teams that were experiencing some difficulties. I soon realised that what was a problem for one team was not a problem for another and that what worked well in one team did not necessarily transfer to another. Team dynamics are complex and there are no simplistic ways to solve everyone's problems. Take a few moments to reflect on the team you work in: what causes frustrations within the team? Take a few more moments to reflect on those areas you have identified and see if they fit into any of the categories identified below.
- Fluid staff roles. For some staff their role, authority and accountability seems fluid. It varies according to staffing levels and qualified nursing ratios. This is particularly relevant for unqualified staff and newly qualified nurses whose role often expands if experienced qualified staff are reduced in numbers
- Pay differentials. Some healthcare assistants seemed seem more able and caring than some of the qualified staff, yet receive less pay; imagine how frustrating that must be and the effect it could have on team dynamics
- Disruptive personalities. In an average team of 20 people there are often two or three people who seem to enjoy being negative
- Poor communication. This is both from the senior nurse down, not sharing ideas and objectives with all the team, and also upwards with staff not sharing ideas and concerns with others
- People operating with different standards. This can involve time-keeping, sickness days, off-duty requests, quality of care, attention to detail, speed of working, gossiping, or negativity. When everyone operates on the same standards then the ‘oil’ flows between the team members and everything goes smoothly, but when it is missing people can grate and grind against each other.
Easing frustrations
Working in any team can be frustrating at times; if it is evident in your team try to assess what is happening. Consider the examples I've given above and those from your own experience: what could be done to reduce frustrations occurring and reduce the negative feelings that frustration within a team can lead to? It is unlikely that there is a single cause; frustration often arises from an accumulation of a number of ‘minor irritants’. Try to identify these minor irritants and reduce some of them. This could be clarifying roles, or addressing behaviours such as lateness or casual sickness. Sometimes helping staff with a change of perspective, where they can appreciate their role in a more holistic context, allows them to appreciate the positive attributes of the team they work in.