Team Building

Prior to class I didn't know what to expect. I was a little concerned about what might be required considering the knowledge that we were going to be outside and "get dirty." I thought we might have a long, grueling obstacle course that included rolling in puddles of mud and climbing up walls (actually, not quite that extensive). I was too curious about what we were doing outside to even pay attention to the topic for th week.

I actually did learn a few things. I have participated in similar activites in the past, but was able to see things a little differently. It was interesting to see that some people took the challenges seriously, and others just wanted to go through the motions and either just get it done or try to skip it entirely. However, with every level of enthusiasm we were still able to get through all the challenges. Any team in the workplace is likely to be the same. Some people will hand you a calculator when they want you to check their insulin, and others yell across the room that they are giving X number of units. Some refuse to give a bed bath because they're not a tech anymore, and others offer oral hygeine to all their patients. I think team building has a lot to do with encouraging and stepping in to help those that are a little less excited. It is especially important in nursing because we are taking care of other people and the stakes are so high.

In my nursing practice I plan to be more aware of those who need an extra push to get all the way around the corners. It really does impact the whole team when one person doesn't want to do things right. But I have a better perspetive of that and will step in to help motivate those who aren't being as safe as they need to be.

For the most part I feel like the activities were fun and did help to increase a sense of teamwork. We did have a good team that was willing to work well together, try something new when needed, and didn't stop to argue over anything. We just went ahead and did it. It was fun to be a part of a group that did work well together. I think the whole day would have made me upset if I had a team that fought over how to do things. My favorite part was that we allowed different people to come out as leaders in the different activities. It was nice that we were able to utilize everyone's strengths and build the whole team that way.

I think one of the things I took away from the activities was a stronger realization of how different everyone is. Despite differences, we can all work together and enjoy being together. Our class has a lot of varied opinions. Yet we are still able to be randomly assigned into groups and work very well together. I wish that more people in the world were like that. Too many people get angry or offended at differences. We would all have a much better time sharing the planet if we would just allow each other to be different instead of trying to make everyone else like ourselves. In fact, it's better that way.