(1303) Applying Nursing Survey Results to Enhance Team Collaboration and Patient Outcomes in Critical Care

Introduction: Effective nurse-physician collaboration is associated with improved patient outcomes. A literature review revealed the importance of information sharing and collaborative decision making to potentially improve patient outcomes in critical care. Sound Critical Care (SCC) conducts a nursing satisfaction survey pre-implementation of our core programs and again one year post-implementation to obtain the nurse’s perspective on nurse-physician collaboration and also identifies barriers to this process.

Methods: The nursing survey is conducted pre-implementation, and one year post-implementation, using a Likert Scale ranging from Strongly Agree = 5 to Strongly Disagree = 1. Survey results are analyzed and reviewed with SCC physician and nursing leadership. Questions range from perceptions of nurse-physician collaboration, quality of care in the unit, conflict resolution, and current medical practice. Action plans are developed to focus on our core SCC program, which include multidisciplinary rounding processes, practice guidelines, team meetings, quality enhancement programs, and quarterly performance reviews.

Results: The nursing survey results represent approximately two thousand critical care nurses from all shifts, from over forty critical care units across the United States. Key items from the survey address physician-nurse collaboration, communication, respect, and perceptions of care. Specific results from the post survey include a 6.0% increase in “There is a sense of team and mutual respect that exists among ICU nurses and physicians”; 8.1% increase in “The physicians and nurses work together as a well-coordinated team; 8.5% increase in “The physicians have professional communication with bedside staff.”

Conclusions: As we continue to improve patient outcomes in the critical care, SCC recognizes the importance of incorporating survey results to promote a culture that fosters trust, inclusiveness, and mutual respect among the team. These efforts are embedded within the SCC program pillars, and the nursing survey plays an integral part in promoting this. It is our belief that this effort promotes team satisfaction and improved patient outcomes. Integrating the nursing survey results into the SCC processes helps to assure a continued focus on improving critical care team collaboration.