UMEM Educational Pearls

Title: Team Dynamics in Emergency Medicine

Keywords: Team building, belonging, team dynamics, emergency physicians, emergency nurses (PubMed Search)

Posted: 3/25/2025 by Mercedes Torres, MD (Updated: 3/26/2025)
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Better teamwork creates better outcomes in emergency medicine. This study investigated how communication practices between physicians and nurses in the ED influence team dynamics and the sense of belonging to the healthcare team.

Methods: 38 emergency physicians and emergency nurses from EDs within a single metropolitan area participated in focus groups.

Positive Influences on Team Belonging:

Proactivity and anticipating needs: Physicians specifically demonstrated proactivity by “talking to the triage (nurse), talking to the charge (nurse) about what is it that I can be doing to help.” Nursing identified anticipating the physician’s equipment and workflow needs as a helpful anticipatory task.
Projecting openness: Projecting openness through verbal or nonverbal techniques was associated with more open lines of communication and improved team dynamics. For example, asking the team “what are we missing?” to invite input from all team members on the care plan.
Less formal name conventions: Knowing and calling each other by first names increased healthy relationships among team members, especially between physician and nurses.
Building relationships outside of work: Establishing a relationship and getting to know a team member was described as helpful when subsequent brisk professional communication is required, such as during the care of a critically ill patient.

Negative Influences on Team Belonging:

Giving up on or resisting communication
Dismissal of ideas from nursing
Suggestions of laziness with regards to team members

The findings emphasize the importance of fostering positive communication practices to enhance team dynamics, cohesiveness, and overall well-being within ED healthcare teams.

References

Phillips J, Jones D. Qualitative Study of Dynamics, Camaraderie, and Belonging Among Emergency Physicians and Nurses. J Emerg Med. 202569doi:10.1016/j.jemermed.2024.08.011