The power of 5 questions

Vet Times

This article introduces the five questions that can improve team wellbeing.

Quality improvement Communication and teamwork

Some days it’s hard to leave work behind when you close the practice door. Five simple questions can help teams put even the most unforgettable shifts to bed, and get in the best shape to deliver excellent care.

On a recent busy Sunday shift, having stayed late, we took five minutes to catch up with the team members ending the shift and the members just starting theirs. The shift had been a difficult one, but taking a moment to reflect allowed us to learn and potentially change future shifts, to benefit not only our patients but also our team. I left the shift feeling much more positive about our achievements and more bonded as a team.”
Rachael Bacon RVN

What this article covers

The fourth article in this series introduces the Rolling Take 5, a key tool for psychological safety as described in the Joy in Work framework. It explains how a simple, quick and free routine process to check in with your team can make a tangible difference to wellbeing and performance. The article covers:

the proven wellbeing and practice benefits of discussing difficult experiences
the proven safety benefits of checking in with team members at the start of a shift
use of the Going Home Checklist in human healthcare
understanding of the Rolling Take 5.

Read the full article on Vet Times

Further resources

Rolling take 5: questions to discuss as a team

Take a moment before the start and end of the shift to discuss these questions with your team. The discussion can help improve communication between shift teams, to identify areas for improvement, to identify processes that have worked well and flag up required support for the team.

Patient safety: lessons from human healthcare

What can we learn from the NHS’s approach to patient safety over the past 20 years? Suzette Woodward, a paediatric intensive care nurse who is now a Professor in patient safety, discusses the safety concepts and science within the NHS – as well as what we could do differently. This session was recorded at SPVS VMG Congress, Newport in January 2020, as part of the quality improvement stream.