Biggest challenge
Building a cohesive team out of two adjacent internal medicine departments. “I think the biggest barrier for us was change itself. As the organization was transforming we were tasked to transform ourselves,” Merritt said.

Advice to other teams: Focus on what is within your power of influence, said Jacksonbey. Sopata added: “It takes a whole team. Without everyone in agreement that change is needed, you can’t change. It’s important to develop cohesion and get the staff behind it.”

Side benefits:

• Improved inter-departmental communication; a strong sense of camaraderie developed between the two medicine teams. “I really think it’s just been our communication and meshing of the teams,” Merritt said. “Because we were doing things one way on one side and a different way on the other side. If something worked well on one side, we’d incorporate it on the other side. So everyone was on the same page.”
• Increased flexibility as a result of nurses floating back and forth between the two departments.
• New daily huddles have improved general communication and keep staff and doctors updated on measures being tested.

“We all had the same goal, we just had to come together,” Jacksonbey said.