Training residents and nurses to work as a patient-centered care team on a medical ward.
OBJECTIVE
To train medical residents and nurses to work together as a patient-centered care (PCC) team on a medical ward and test its feasibility, nurses' learning, and patient outcomes.


METHODS
Working with administrative leadership, we consolidated residents' patients on one 32-bed ward. Already training residents in an evidence-based patient-centered method, we now trained 5 nurse leaders similarly, and they then trained all staff nurses. A national consultant visited twice. Specific team-building activities for nurses and residents fostered ward interactions. We used a retrospective pre/post/6-month post-design to evaluate nurses' knowledge and self-efficacy of patient-centered skills. Patients were assigned non-randomly to our unit or comparison units from our emergency room; using a post-test only design, the primary endpoint was patient satisfaction.


RESULTS
28 trained nurses showed improvement in knowledge (p=0.02) and self-efficacy (p=0.001). 81 treatment patients showed no improvement in satisfaction (p=0.44).


CONCLUSIONS
Training nurses in patient-centered practices were effective. Unique in this country, we also trained nurses and residents together as a PCC team on a medical ward and showed it was feasible and well accepted.


CONCLUSIONS
We provide a template for team training and urge that others explore this important new area and contribute to its further development.
Laird-Fick
Heather S
HS
Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.
Solomon
David
D
Jodoin
Christine
C
Dwamena
Francesca C
FC
Alexander
Kim
K
Rawsthorne
Larry
L
Banker
Tammy
T
Gourineni
Nandu
N
Aloka
Feras
F
Frankel
Richard M
RM
Smith
Robert C
RC
D002983:Clinical Competence; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008297:Male; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education*; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration*; D018802:Patient-Centered Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019555:Physician-Nurse Relations; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D020377:Self Efficacy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires