Power of Teamwork & lessons of the Geese

I did a speech at our annual schools nursing forum on 2/19/13, where all cohorts who are in our nursing program come together for new updates and speakers. Past all of the anticipation and my heart beating out of my chest I talked about teamwork. As I am almost done with nursing school I have been reflecting on how much teamwork has been a huge part of this nursing program and my the nursing environment. I feel as though sometimes we take teamwork for granted, like it will always be there. But if we don't prove ourselves as a vital part of the team, the team is not always going to be there. So here is a little bit about teamwork and some lessons from the wise geese with their V formations as it relates to teamwork.

Have you ever watched a flock of geese flying in their traditional "V" formation, heading for Canada?

Well, two engineers learned that each bird, by flapping its wings, creates an uplift for the bird that follows. Together, the whole flock gains something like 71 percent greater flying range than if they were traveling alone.

 Similar to people who are part of a team the geese reach their goal quicker and easier because they travel on the trust of one another and lift each other up along the way.

Team: Together everyone achieves more

True teamwork is the rarest, most exhilarating, and most productive human activity possible. Everyone wants to harness this incredible energy, but achieving such a level of motivation is not always easy.

 

A team is not just a group of individuals who work at the same location or have the same logo on their business card. A real team is not only made up of people who may be unequal in experience, talent, or education, but who are equal in their commitment to working together to achieve the goals and greatness of the organization, each other and in our case our patients.

1.Asking questions.

I float to 14 units that ranges from ICU, medsurg, oncology, and many other types of specialties. Which means 14 different codes, 14 different work environments, and 14 different types of work flows that add up to be to a whole lot of different types of questions. And trying to find things like the thermometers and sharps containers are all in different spots in the patient’s room is , and let me tell you the supply rooms are a whole different story, sometimes I swear it is trying to find a needle in a haystack. So yes I ask those questions realizing that like most of us at this early stage are all trying to impress our coworkers, our colleagues, and our instructors and may think that asking questions may make us look weak or dumb, but I have found that asking questions promotes patient safety and builds respect within each other. Which brings me into my next component I use.

2. Respect-

As nurses we have to work with every kind of person, every kind of personality, and every kind of attitude.  We have to work with it all. We can’t say I don’t want to work with that patient, doctor, colleague, or manager because we don’t really like them or agree with them. That is not what nursing care is about. We are not always going to like or agree with everyone we work with, and that’s okay. But we can do is respect each other and make what we have to do together successful. 

3.Common goal-                                               

The majority of us here today are nursing students and we all have the common goal to become a nurse. We are currently working on that goal as we continue nursing school together. We help one another in clinical, study groups and in times of stress like our simulations. Then soon we will be nurses, nurses who have the common goal to give patients the best quality care we can. Helping each other achieve that when we have busy patient assignments.

These three components have helped me personally and will help me in my nursing practice.  I would like to conclude this presentation with four lessons heading back into the world of a goose

1.When a goose falls out of the V formation it feels the drag and resistance of trying to get through it alone and finds itself quickly repositioning itself into the V and once again has the advantage of the power of the flock.

If we benefit from the lessons of the geese we will stay in formation with those headed where we want to go. We are willing to accept their help and give our help to others.

2. When the lead goose tires, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies to the point position.

It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership. As with geese, people are interdependent on each other’s skills, capabilities and unique arrangements of gifts, talents or resources.

 

3. The geese flying in formation honk to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

We need to make sure honking is encouraging. In groups where there is encouragement the production is much greater. The power of encouragement (to stand by one’s heart or core values and encourage the heart and core of others) is the quality of honking we seek.

 

4. When a goose gets sick or wounded, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it is able to fly again or passes on. Then, they launch out with another formation or catch up with the flock.

If we have as much sense as geese, we will stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we are strong because as a team everyone achieves more.

I am not going to lie, I was absolutely petrified to talk in front of all of the nursing students and some of the professors, but being forced to do this, made me realize that I can do it. I worked really really hard on this and kept switching things around because I wanted it to be the best it could be. Could of it been better? Yes, I am sure it probably could have been, but I am happy with it knowing that I did the best I could. I am also really proud of my classmates who also did speeches, they did great and it was fun listening to them "voice" what is important to them.