Article Text
Abstract
Low morale among junior doctors has been attributed to a loss of the ‘firm’ or feeling of belong to a team as well as an increasingly demanding job, reduced resources and significant rota gaps. Improved teamwork is also associated with improved clinical outcomes. It is essential that we invest in and prioritise teambuilding for clinical staff in order to improve their wellbeing and to improve outcomes for patients. We developed an interactive, educational team-building workshop delivered in the form of an escape room, as a two-hour session including an extensive debrief and time for reflection. The Aims of the session are a) for participants to build inter-personal relationships with their colleagues b) to gain an understanding of their own role in a team. We obtained feedback from participants immediately, and nine months after the session in the form of survey data and qualitative responses. Immediate and long-term feedback were extremely positive and suggested that the training had significant improved participants’ knowledge and understanding of working in a team. All participants reported that they were able to get to know their colleagues better, and that the session was enjoyable. Participants reported an improved understanding of team dynamics, a deeper awareness of their own role within a team, an increased knowledge of common team challenges and reported feeling more prepared for managing team conflict and delegating tasks. Feedback from participants after nine months particularly emphasised how the training had helped them prioritise effective communication with their team. An escape room scenario provides a novel, fun and effective way to both build a team and to improve understanding of teamworking. Participants were able to learn in a fun, innovative way, and feedback indicated that the training was successful. This is an affordable, innovative intervention which can be used for improving morale among clinical teams.