Multidisciplinary structured work shift evaluations to enhance team communication
Author(s): Judith Sluiter, Albert P. Bos, Dirk Tol, Mart Calff, Margot Krijnen, & Monique H. W. Frings-Dresen Country: Netherlands
Is the intervention sector specific?	No
Is the intervention usable with different enterprise sizes?	Yes
Is the intervention equally applicable to both genders?	Yes
Is the intervention based on theory?	Yes
Can the intervention approach be adapted/ tailored?	Yes
Does the intervention promote CSR and how?	The intervention was not explicitly linked to responsible business practices although it does promote employee well-being
Does the intervention promote social dialogue and how?	A central component of the intervention was communication and dialogue within the worksite through the use of multidisciplinary structured work shift evaluations
Overview (including risk assessment and law – legal requirements etc.): The overall objective of the intervention was to enhance team communication by way of using multidisciplinary structured work shift evaluations. In so doing, by increasing and facilitating increased communication within the worksite and among work colleagues; an ‘emotional pressure valve’ during working hours would be developed resulting in stimulating recovery from work and decreasing the persistence of unnecessary worries and accompanying bodily stress reactions after working time for employees.
Implementation: On two predetermined days per week, the remaining 30 minutes of the day shift were allocated for the multidisciplinary structured work shift evaluation within the department. During this meeting, all members of staff working on that shift gathered and assessed how well the working day went and what had occurred during the shift. These meetings were facilitated by the evaluation leader (staff members were provided training in leading these discussion) who structured the process, ensured the proper time span, guided the type of interaction between team members (i.e., ensuring a safe environment for feedback) and organised the communication (in regards to emotional events, teamwork, work roles, and organisational aspects) using predefined models of communication. Two training courses were conducted to prepare for the implementation phase of the multidisciplinary structured work shift evaluation: firstly, a 1-day training course was provided for all staff members, with the overall objective of improving their interpersonal communication skills; secondly, a 2-day course to train eight selected staff members to supervise the structure of the multidisciplinary work shift evaluation
Practical applications: Prior to designing the intervention a risk assessment was conducted; in so doing, it identified communication within the targeted worksite/and among various staff members as the central issues. Additionally, the administration of the two training courses was provided by a professional communication trainer. This particular intervention was implemented and evaluated in the healthcare sector; major components of the intervention were designed to address the concerns identified in the risk assessment previously conducted in the department.
Innovative aspects: The intervention used a structured communication process using predefined communication models as a means of increasing effective communication within a multidisciplinary worksite; and thereby increasing employee health and wellbeing.
Evaluation (including process issues, outcomes and sustainability): To assess the effectiveness of the intervention, employees were assessed prior to and following the intervention using a series of self-report questionnaires: examining (a) the quality and process of the intervention, assessed during the first 3 months of implementation; (b) the perceived effectiveness of the intervention and work organisation; and (c) staff health (ie., work-related fatigue and emotional exhaustion).
Benefits (including cost effectiveness): Based on the results of the evaluation of the intervention, several benefits were observed: The improvement of team communication was reported by the majority of intervention participants. Emotional exhaustion problems significantly decreased during the course of the intervention. A trend towards a decrease in work-related fatigue was also observed. Almost all of the participating employees reported experiencing satisfying communication with colleagues following the intervention. In general, the authors conclude, based on the evaluation of the collected evidence, that the multidisciplinary structured work shift evaluation was successful in improving communication and decreasing problems relating to emotional exhaustion.
References: Sluiter, J.K., Bos, A.P., Tol, D., Calff, M., Krijnen, M., & Frings-Dresen, M.H.W. (2005). Is staff well-being and communication enhanced by multidisciplinary work shift evaluations? Intensive Care Medicine, 31, 1409-1414.
Comments: The predefined models for communication used are as follows: (a) Star model: the group discussion goes through the leader through ‘mini-talks’ about a specific subject with all the group members on a one-to-one basis. Following this the leader summaries every ‘mini-talk’ and then asks for a group reply or to move over to the next group member. (b) Cobweb model: after introducing a subject by the leader, the leader relinquishes control and structure of the discussion to the group giving group members ample opportunity to react freely and discuss openly as a group, after which the group summarizes the key points and moves on to next subject; and/or (c) using a combination of both approaches.