Chapter 12 – Case Study Questions
This activity contains 5 questions.
So You Are the Team Leader Now
The unit you are working on had an opening for a team leader position. You applied and,
to your surprise, you get the position. You begin leading the team next week. After the
excitement dies down, you begin to get nervous about the new position. Can you really
do this job? You know that the team includes two RNs, one LPN, and two CNAs. You
have worked with all of the members, but you don’t know any of them well. Your nurse
manager tells you that one of the RNs has a reputation of being quiet and passive and the
other is “pushy.” He has made most team leaders wish he would go away. The LPN has
worked on the unit longer than any of the other team members and is a hard worker. The
two CNAs also have a lot of experience. Now what do you do?
Questions:
1.
What information about teams do you need to consider?
2.
Describe the type of team leader you want to be and how this might impact decisions you
need to make now.
3.
What additional information about the team members might you ask the nurse manager?
4.
What would be the expected phases of team development?
5.
How will you build team cohesiveness? Consider the barriers and strategies to address.
1.
[Answers may vary]
What is the difference between teams and teamwork? A team represents the structure and
teamwork the function, or how the team works together. Shared governance, discussed in
2.
[Answers will vary per each student’s response]
3.
[Answers will vary]
Nursing teams have been organized in a variety of ways over the years. The typical
method has been to organize according to function. Understanding some of the history of
the development of nursing teams is beneficial to appreciate the current status of teams.
Finkelman, Leadership and Management for Nurses: Core Competencies for Quality Care, 3e
4.
[Answers may vary]
There are 4 stages of team development, including:
• Forming
5.
[Answers may vary]
Followership can be defined as “the willingness to cooperate in working towards the
accomplishment of the group [team] mission, to demonstrate a high degree of teamwork
Chapter number: 12
Finkelman, Leadership and Management for Nurses: Core Competencies for Quality Care, 3e