Abstract
Purpose. Healthcare teams possess the clinical and medical capabilities to meet the challenges of patient care. Teams in healthcare have been used for centuries; however, the functionality of teams is based on the leadership directing the team. The problem is that teams function only as well as the leadership facilitating the process. Built on a foundation of communication, interpersonal engagement, and decision making, the proposed leadership model is designed to improve team leadership in healthcare. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the perception of the applicability of the Simen-Schreiber integrated leadership model for healthcare teams from the viewpoint of the healthcare team within four different healthcare practice settings. Methodology. Four facilities from different healthcare practice settings selected a team to participate in multiple methods comprised within this qualitative study including a team observation tool, the TEI-QUE-ASF-modified emotional intelligence questionnaire, 10-question focus group and data from websites, and meeting with the administrator on the background information. The four settings investigated were the pilot site, a Diabetes-focused ambulatory care clinic, an acute care geriatric-psychiatric unit, a skilled nursing facility, and a university clinic for geriatric patients. The triangulation of the data describes support for the Simen-Schreiber leadership model. Findings. Examination of results from the four teams across different practice settings shows support of the Simen-Schreiber leadership model for healthcare teams. Higher functioning teams demonstrated higher emotional intelligence scores, and observational findings agreed. Conclusions. The findings of this study show the Simen-Schreiber leadership model is applicable to some healthcare teams. Therefore, the Simen-Schreiber leadership model may be useful in preparing healthcare professionals for participation in teamwork leading to more efficient and effective patient-centered care. Recommendations. Further study should be done within the acute hospital setting to assess applicability to this physician-centric setting.