Healthcare teams that work well together and feel connected to each other as colleagues and working partners are more likely to have greater job satisfaction, higher levels of staff retention, be better able to care for their service users and make fewer clinical errors.

However, team building initiatives in the healthcare industry can sometimes be harder to organize and difficult to put into practice given the often challenging circumstances health care workers can find themselves in, whether it is down to odd working hours, the high levels of emergency care and respite needed for patients, or simply just finding a suitable time to connect everyone.

Happy, healthy teambuilding

Optimal patient care in a health setting depends on a happy, healthy workforce who feel ready to take on the challenges of the day.

Well performing healthcare teams will all have shared goals, know their roles within the workforce and be able to communicate clearly and openly with each other. They will be open to mentoring and learning, as well as wanting to challenge themselves and develop their skills over time.

Successful Healthcare Teambuilding

The key to successful team building and development in the healthcare industry is built on a foundation of strong, effective leadership. Management no longer relies solely on driving processes and policies through, it also needs to effectively combine this with a passion for communication and an ability to connect with your workforce on more than a Manager/Worker level.


Good healthcare management

A good manager who wants to connect with their team in a healthcare setting needs to keep continually challenging themselves and be willing to evolve and move with the times. Realizing that each member of your team is different, will have different needs and that one management style does not suit everyone. In short, be prepared to adapt and change. A one size fits all model will not work for all your staff.

Effective healthcare leaders should be able to listen, have compassion and empathy, and demonstrate a solid ability to invest in and work with their staff to create a happy, healthy workforce.

Healthcare Team Building Tips

Know your staff. Talk to them individually and get to understand what makes them tick.

Know that your chosen career/occupation presents challenges. Be prepared to move and adapt to these all the time.

Be inclusive. Recognize that everyone is an individual and will have their own way of looking at the world. 

Respond, adapt, learn and move on. If a team member raises a concern, listen to them, respond and discuss how to rectify the situation and adapt working strategies to make sure the same problem is less likely to arise again.

 

The Paramedic Who Raises Money and Teambuilds Too…

Chris McPhee is a full time paramedic in North America. Working in such a high pressured, challenging role, no two days are ever the same. The hardworking healthcare professional has dedicated a lot of his free time to helping raise money for the Toronto’s Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation and its Ride to Conquer Cancer along with some of his colleagues.

Whilst raising money and highlighting a cause that needs all the awareness and help it can, he’s also helping develop good working relationships with fellow paramedics too.

In spring 2018 the Peer-to-Peer Professional Forum honored Chris with the ‘Cash, Sweat & Tears Award’ as one of North America’s top fundraising volunteers.

The team from Peer-to Peer wanted to acknowledge his hard work, dedication and ability to bring people together behind a cause. Not only that, but to keep them coming back year after year.

In May 2018, his cycling team, Paramedics for a Cure, raised $185,000 for the hospital as part of the hospital’s annual fundraising ride.   

What makes Chris more remarkable is his knack for inspiring people and helping the riders on his team feel feel a deep connection with the hospital they raise funds for.

The flipside is the care that the Princess Margaret Cancer Center gives to Chris and his team in response to their good deeds.

The team there let Chris and his workers plan their own fundraising activities on their own terms.

They value Chris and his team as MORE than simply workers and fundraisers. They recognize Chris has an invaluable skill set that can be utilized. They’ve got to know him, understand his personality and what his passions in life are. It’s helped to make Chris even more willing to give up his time to help the cause.

They always find a way to thank Chris and his team and let him know he is appreciated. His nomination for the Cash, Sweat & Tears Award earned Chris a trip to Miami to accept the award and connect with and learn from other fundraisers. Acts like these mean that Chris feels valued and acknowledged and is more likely to continue working hard for them to raise money.