Collaboration and teamwork | Best Practice, Better Practitioners

Other Core Competencies:

To be able to work co-operatively with colleagues and other health professionals to develop a shared picture of the clinical situation and facilitate appropriate task delegation, to ensure the delivery of safe, effective and efficient surgical care through:

documenting and exchanging information
establishing a shared understanding
playing an active role in clinical teams.

Select the PGY (1–3) tabs below to view the progression of the expected skills, knowledge and behaviours across the early postgraduate years

Key clinical tasks and the workplace

The related key clinical tasks (KCT) have been designed to help you apply the Framework to your job. You can use these to obtain feedback on, and/or assessment of, your level of performance.

Select the check box next to a KCT for guidance on developing your collaboration and teamwork skills and knowledge for this task

Select the KCT title to see the complete task, related competencies and downloadable assessment form

Establish respectful good working relationships with team members and other healthcare professionals

Recognise the roles and responsibilities of other professionals within the healthcare team; respect and listen to their concerns about the patient

Respond positively to requests for help from team, as needed

Adopt flexible roles within different teams and accept assigned tasks

Understand both personal and collective responsibility within the team to ensure the safety of patients

Resolve simple conflict with another team member to the satisfaction of both

Self-awareness of how one’s views may contribute to team tension

Awareness and respect of differences, misunderstandings and limitations with other team members

Well prepared for ward rounds and patient management

Inform the presence or availability of team members to patients

Perform effective handover in a structured format, e.g. team member to team member, or hospital to GP, to ensure patient safety and continuity of care

Maintain accurate records and follow-up on investigation results

Accept responsibility for own roles and tasks

Anticipate patient care needs and communicate these to other members of the team

Recognise issues that impede teamwork and suggest/implement actions to improve it

Work harmoniously within a team and resolve simple team conflicts

Recognise expertise and roles of other health team members and staff

Support new unit (team) members

Collaborate with colleagues to plan and implement work rosters

Participate in shared decision-making activity involving patients, families and relevant health professionals, such as development of a care plan noting reference to open disclosure in ‘Communication’ section

Maintain clear, accurate and concise patient records of assessment, clinical issues and planned management

Identify issues that impede teamwork and suggest actions; after discussion with Unit Head, assist with implementation

Identify and manage fatigue with the team

Work within the team to identify and remedy errors, particularly using a systems approach

Predict and manage conflict between members of the healthcare team

Collaborate effectively with other specialist teams involved in the patient’s care

Effectively prioritise patients with multiple medical conditions of varying disease severity

Able to coach or supervise juniors, as required by the clinical task

Encourage participation of all team members and allocate appropriate tasks to junior members

Engage junior doctors, nursing and ancillary staff in ward rounds