Rapid Deployment of Team Nursing During a Pandemic: Implementation Strategies and Lessons Learned

Activity Summary

Required reading for all learners: Implicit Bias impacts patient outcomes

The COVID-19 pandemic increased the number of patients requiring intensive care nationwide, leading to nurse staffing shortages in many units. To relieve the resulting staffing shortage, a tertiary hospital implemented a team nursing pilot program to bring general care nurses into its 21-bed mixed specialty intensive care unit to free intensive care unit nurses to help staff the hospital’s COVID-designated units. This article shares how team nursing was implemented and its outcomes.

Objectives

Describe initial strategies that are beneficial when implementing a team nursing model utilizing non-ICU trained staff in the critical care setting.
Explain barriers to consider and address when implementing team nursing into a critical care setting that utilizes the primary nursing model.
Identify important communication strategies utilized among the various team members to promote role delineation, establish responsibilities and provide updates and expectations.

Continuing Education Disclosure Statement

Successful Completion

Learners must attend/view/read the entire activity and complete the associated evaluation to be awarded the contact hours or CERP. No partial credit will be awarded.

Disclosure

This activity has been reviewed by the Nurse Planner. It has been determined that the material presented here shows no bias. No conflicts of interest have been identified for any individual with the ability to influence the content of this activity. Accreditation refers to recognition of continuing education only and does not imply AACN or ANCC approval or endorsement of any commercial products discussed or displayed in conjunction with this educational activity.

Accreditation

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's (ANCC's) Commission on Accreditation, ANCC Provider Number 0012. AACN has been approved as a provider of continuing education in nursing by the California State Board of Nursing (CBRN), California Provider number CEP 1036. This activity is approved for 1.00 contact hours.

AACN programming meets the standards for most states that require mandatory continuing education contact hours for license and/or certification renewal. AACN recommends consulting with your state board of nursing or credentialing organization before submitting CE to fulfill continuing education requirements.

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Continuing Education Activities are nonrefundable.