Rapid Deployment of Team Nursing During a Pandemic: Implementation Strategies and Lessons Learned

Activity Summary

Required reading for all learners: Implicit Bias impacts patient outcomes

The COVID-19 pandemic increased the number of patients requiring intensive care nationwide, leading to nurse staffing shortages in many units. To relieve the resulting staffing shortage, a tertiary hospital implemented a team nursing pilot program to bring general care nurses into its 21-bed mixed specialty intensive care unit to free intensive care unit nurses to help staff the hospital’s COVID-designated units. This article shares how team nursing was implemented and its outcomes.

Objectives

Describe initial strategies that are beneficial when implementing a team nursing model utilizing non-ICU trained staff in the critical care setting.
Explain barriers to consider and address when implementing team nursing into a critical care setting that utilizes the primary nursing model.
Identify important communication strategies utilized among the various team members to promote role delineation, establish responsibilities and provide updates and expectations.

Continuing Education Disclosure Statement

Successful Completion

Learners must complete the entire activity and the associated evaluation to be awarded contact hours AND read Implicit Bias impacts patient outcomes. No partial credit will be awarded.

Accreditation

The American Association of Critical-Care Nurses is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation.
Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider number CEP 1036, for {contactHours} contact hours.

Disclosures

Any relevant relationship between an ineligible company and an individual with the ability to influence clinical content will be identified by the Nurse Planner within the activity. Any relevant relationship between an ineligible company and an individual with the ability to influence clinical content has been mitigated.

Accreditation refers to recognition of continuing education only and does not imply AACN, ANCC, or CBRN approval or endorsement of any commercial products discussed or displayed in conjunction with this educational activity. Activities with pharmacology hours are to assist the APRN in fulfilling the pharmacotherapeutic education requirements for licensure and certification renewals.

Activities meet the standards for most states that require mandatory continuing education for license and/or certification renewal. AACN recommends consulting with your own state board of nursing or credentialing organization before submitting your certificate of completion.

Refund Policy

Continuing Education Activities are nonrefundable.