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In Chapters 6 and 7, we cover the characteristics of effective teams and the competencies that team members need in order to contribute to making their teams effective. In this chapter we explain the leadership of teams, including the methods used to choose team leaders, the leader's role, and the competencies needed by a team leader. The subsequent 3 chapters provide more detail on team functions that are important for all team members but have special importance for team leaders because they oversee these functions or handle them directly. Chapter 9 describes decision making in teams; Chapter 10 deals with fostering creativity; and Chapter 11 explains managing conflict.
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Team leaders come to be leaders by various pathways. The most common paths are illustrated by the following 3 vignettes.
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Petronela Jarak, RN, MSN, started her nursing career at Central Valley Hospital immediately after completing her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. She worked first on a medical-surgical floor and later on an oncology floor. After she had worked in oncology for 6 years, she became charge nurse on the evening shift. In other words, she was in charge of the oncology unit during one-third of the day. Within 2 more years she became head nurse for Central Valley's oncology services, including services provided on all shifts and in some outreach programs. During her years at Central Valley, Ms. Jarak often was asked to serve on task forces and committees. She gained experience in small group problem solving and eventually in chairing committees. She also continued her nursing education by earning a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree in nursing administration at a university in a nearby city. She took some of her courses online and some on nights and weekends over 4 years.
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Last year the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) of the hospital retired. A search for her replacement was conducted. The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) made the hiring decision, with input from the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) and several others. She appointed Ms. Jarak as the new CNO, and her appointment was confirmed by the board.
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Frances Painter Medical Center is an integrated health system in Oregon. It was founded in 1920 by several physicians in various clinical fields—internal medicine, pediatrics, general surgery, orthopedics, and so on. It had functioned as a multispecialty group practice for 35 years before the group practice purchased the hospital that the physicians had been using since the group was founded, thus creating an integrated health system. By 2010, the Medical Center had grown to include 425 physicians, 52 nurse practitioners (NPs), about 500 registered nurses, and many other professionals. All of those who worked at Frances Painter were employed by the organization. Despite the expansion of the organization over the years, many of the original operating policies ...