Collective Mindfulness
Collective mindfulness is a trait that high reliability organizations (HROs) demonstrate to enhance operational success. Defining collective mindfulness, Weick and Sutcliffe state that is an organizational attribute in which all individuals within an organization are aware of dire consequences of even small errors and constantly survey for potential problems (2007). Open communication between all levels of the organization is stressed in the work culture that encompasses collective mindfulness. In a work culture that prioritizes collective mindfulness, there are five practice characteristics that contribute to the foundation of collective mindfulness; preoccupation with failure, reluctance to simplify, sensitivity to operations, commitment to resilience, and deference to expertise (Spath, 2022). These five practice characteristics are essential for preservation of a high-functioning, failure free organization. Errors within a high reliability organization can still occur; however, these organizations often contain and recover from mistakes due to their foresight capabilities.
Exercise 5.1
In the TeamSTEPPS training video by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (2017), the team members within the organization demonstrated several practice characteristics of collective mindfulness. Team members that played an important role in the care of Mrs. Everett include Greg, the phlebotomy technician, Amy, the registered nurse, and Dr. Feldman, attending physician. First and foremost, Greg played the greatest role in the early identification of the situation and successful reporting of Mrs. Everett’s condition to her primary nurse, Amy. Greg demonstrated two practice characteristics of collective mindfulness which include deference to expertise and sensitivity to operations. Greg understood his workplace limitations for the assessment and critical thinking skills required for Mrs. Everett’s condition, so deference to someone with greater expertise was the correct action that Greg performed. Sensitivity to operations was demonstrated by Greg’s communication ability towards Amy by successfully communicating Mrs. Everett’s deteriorating condition and evoking Amy’s situational awareness in the change of Mrs. Everett’s mental status.
Amy, the registered nurse caring for Mrs. Everett, displayed reluctance to simplify and deference to expertise. The reluctance to simplify was demonstrated by Amy’s active listening of Greg’s concerns and opinions about Mrs. Everett while investigating the potential causes of the problem during her re-assessment of Mrs. Everett. Deference to expertise was demonstrated through Amy’s reporting of events to Dr. Feldman. Dr. Feldman demonstrated deference to expertise by yielding the decision making authority for the care of Mrs. Everett. Furthermore, Dr. Feldman demonstrated sensitivity to operations by listening to Amy’s report of Mrs. Everett and constantly seeking new information and understanding the bigger picture of Mrs. Everett’s condition. All three members within the organization played an important role in the early identification and treatment of a potentially worsening complication that Mrs. Everett was experiencing. Without the culture of collective mindfulness imbued within this organization, Mrs. Everett’s deterioration in health may not have been effectively communicated and thereby leading to a worse prognosis and poor patient outcomes.
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