Team Structures in Health Care

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Team Structures in Health Care 1) Team structure in the Intensive Care Unit: People who work in ICUs include lab technicians, Respiratory Therapists, Nurses, Ultrasound Technicians, X-Ray Techs, and Physicians. Chaplains and social workers may also be called to come to the department. All of these care providers must be able to communicate effectively amongst themselves to provide care for patients. People who are in the Intensive Care Unit are often exposed to critical care patients and have to deal with crisis and emergencies as they occur. The environment can contain a high level of stress and it is important for those who are working there to remain calm and be aware of their surroundings (36). It is important that all health professionals in this environment can effectively communicate with families and other providers as needed. They also need to be adequately prepared and trained for medical emergencies. Providers should also have the proper credentials and training such as BLS, ACLS, etc. This is one department where teamwork is essential and a lack of leadership amongst co-workers can lead to ineffective care (36). It is important to have communication and training because patient’s conditions are more serious and can change quickly. Because the conditions of a patient are more serious, any health care provider on that unit needs to know who to call or what therapies to use/change to improve a patient’s condition. 2) Medical Teams in the Emergency Department: Providers in this department include Nurses, Respiratory therapists, and physicians. Physician assistants, X-ray technicians and lab technicians may also be called to the department. The environment of the ED is very similar to that of an ICU. It is a very “fast paced, information intensive environment” (44). This means that the providers in this department have a higher need of working quickly
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