Many healthcare teams struggle with poor communication, leading to errors and inefficiencies. A hospital can face challenges because of the lack of proper communication and teamwork. Communication breakdowns between nurses and physicians result in delayed patient care decisions, prolonged hospital stays, and increased patient dissatisfaction. A team of nurses, IT staff, and administrators must work together to improve the situation. Strong communication and teamwork are essential for better patient care (Vos et al., 2020). This assessment examines how teamwork and communication impact healthcare. It explores leadership strategies and structured communication tools to improve collaboration. These solutions can reduce errors, enhance patient safety, and create a more efficient healthcare system.

Interview Summary

I talked to a nurse manager at St. Anthony Medical Center. This is a mid-sized hospital that focuses on patient care. She has been a nurse leader for over ten years. She manages nurses, makes sure rules are followed, and works to improve patient care. One big problem she shared is poor teamwork between healthcare workers. This can make things harder for the hospital and patients. For example, when the hospital started using a new computer system (EHR), it didn’t go well. The main reason was bad communication and not enough training (Vos et al., 2020). Leaders told staff to use the system but did not ask for their input. This caused mistakes, bad documentation, and unhappy staff. To fix this, the hospital created a team with nurses, IT staff, and managers. This team made training programs, collected feedback, and changed workflows. As a result, staff learned faster, and mistakes went down.

The nurse manager said the hospital encourages teamwork but still needs better communication. She supports using SBAR (Situation, Background, Assessment, Recommendation) to help teams work together. SBAR is a simple way for healthcare workers to share important information. It helps prevent mistakes, makes messages clearer, and keeps patients safe (Toumi et al., 2024). I asked open-ended questions like, “How can SBAR help fix these problems?” and “Can you give an example of how poor communication has affected patient care?” These questions helped me understand the challenges better. By listening carefully and asking the right questions, I learned about key problems and solutions. This will help me create a plan to improve teamwork and patient care.

Issue Identification

One of my nursing colleagues shared in an interview that poor communication between nurses and doctors is a significant problem. When messages are unclear or mixed up, patient care gets delayed. This makes hospital stays longer and patients unhappy. A strong teamwork approach is needed to fix this issue. It helps doctors and nurses work better together and improves patient care (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), 2023). These communication problems happen because nurses and doctors focus on different things.

Nurses pay attention to patient details and daily care, while doctors focus more on test results and diagnosis (Appiah et al., 2023). Using clear methods like SBAR can help everyone stay on the same page. Research shows that teamwork between different healthcare workers reduces mistakes and keeps patients safer (Aldamouk, 2024). Structured interdisciplinary rounds (SIRs), where nurses, physicians, and other team members collectively discuss patient cases, improve decision-making, shorten hospital stays, and increase patient satisfaction. Good teamwork also makes healthcare workers feel more supported and less stressed.

Change Theories for an Interdisciplinary Solution

Lewin’s Change Management Model can help different teams work together to solve problems. This model has three steps: Unfreeze, Change, and Refreeze. In the Unfreeze step, people recognize that change is needed. They also get ready for new ways of doing things and deal with any pushback. The Change stage entails implementing new processes and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration. Finally, the Refreeze stage ensures the new approach becomes ingrained in the organization’s culture, solidifying the changes for long-term success (Harrison et al., 2021).

This model is relevant when addressing interdisciplinary issues because it emphasizes gradual change and team engagement. It aligns with healthcare settings where collaboration among nurses, physicians, and administrators is critical. Lewin’s model is well-supported in the literature, including sources such as Harrison et al. (2021), highlighting its effectiveness in organizational settings and validating its applicability in healthcare environments. Lewin’s Change Management Model, applied in 11 out of 38 studies, facilitates interdisciplinary teamwork by structuring change at local (14 studies), institutional (12 studies), and system levels (6 studies). Its use as a guiding principle enhances healthcare transformation by ensuring smoother transitions and effective collaboration.

Leadership Strategies for an Interdisciplinary Solution

To fix poor communication in healthcare, the leadership strategy of Transformational Leadership can be applied. This leadership style can bring different healthcare workers together to find a solution. According to Deng et al. (2022), transformational leaders inspire and motivate team members to work collaboratively toward a shared vision, fostering a culture of innovation and problem-solving. This strategy is effective in healthcare settings where diverse professionals must coordinate care for optimal patient outcomes. By encouraging open communication and professional development, transformational leadership enhances interdisciplinary collaboration and reduces workplace silos. Transformational leadership is relevant to interdisciplinary challenges because it fosters trust and shared accountability. Literature by Deng et al. (2022) demonstrates its effectiveness in improving team dynamics and provides empirical support for its impact on organizational performance. This source is credible as it is widely cited in leadership research and based on extensive studies in organizational behavior.

Collaboration Approaches for Interdisciplinary Teams

Interdisciplinary collaboration is vital for addressing complex healthcare challenges like poor communication among healthcare professionals. Various approaches support the development and improvement of interdisciplinary teams. A common teamwork method is TeamSTEPPS (Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety). It helps with talking clearly, leading well, staying aware, and supporting each other. This method makes teamwork better, helps people decide together, and keeps patients safe (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), 2023). Another effective model is the Collaborative Care Model (CoCM), which integrates multiple disciplines to improve patient-centered care, particularly for chronic disease and mental health management.

This model promotes efficiency through structured workflows, team meetings, and shared goals (Khoodoruth et al., 2025). Leadership is crucial in fostering collaboration. Transformational leadership, which emphasizes vision, empowerment, and support, enhances teamwork (Deng et al., 2022). Selecting the right approach depends on the specific challenge. TeamSTEPPS is ideal for communication issues, CoCM supports behavioral health integration, and transformational leadership fosters a collaborative culture. Evidence-based models enhance interdisciplinary teamwork and drive sustainable healthcare improvements.

Conclusion

Strong teamwork and communication help healthcare teams work better together. Using structured tools like SBAR and leadership strategies can reduce mistakes and improve patient care. Change models, such as Lewin’s, make it easier to adopt new processes. Encouraging collaboration and mutual respect creates a positive work environment. When healthcare teams communicate well, patient safety and job satisfaction improve.

References

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). (2023). TeamSTEPPS (team strategies & tools to enhance performance & patient safety). Www.ahrq.gov. https://www.ahrq.gov/teamstepps-program/index.html

Aldamouk, A. (2024). The impact of patient-centered, structured interdisciplinary bedside rounds on medical staff satisfaction, education, and experience. Cureus. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.76412

Appiah, E. O., Boadi, E. O., Amponsah, M. A., Mawusi, D. G., Awuah, D. B., Menlah, A., & Appiah, C. O. (2023). Barriers to nurses’ therapeutic communication practices in a district hospital in Ghana. BMC Nursing, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-023-01191-2

Deng, C., Gulseren, D., Isola, C., Grocutt, K., & Turner, N. (2022). Transformational leadership effectiveness: An evidence-based primer. Human Resource Development International, 26(5), 627–641. https://doi.org/10.1080/13678868.2022.2135938

Harrison, R., Fischer, S., Walpola, R. L., Chauhan, A., Babalola, T., Mears, S., & Dao, H. L. (2021). Where do models for change management, improvement, and implementation meet? A systematic review of the applications of change management models in healthcare. Journal of Healthcare Leadership, 13(2), 85–108. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7966357/

Khoodoruth, M. A. S., Khoodoruth, M. A. R., & Khoodoruth, W. N. C.-K. (2025). Implementing a collaborative care model for child and adolescent mental health in Qatar: Addressing workforce and access challenges. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 103, 104347. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2024.104347