Launched in 2003, Transforming Care at the Bedside (TCAB) is a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI).

This guide describes the innovative changes that hospitals tested and implemented to improve the work environment for their medical-surgical unit staff. These changes focus on strategic applications of improved communication techniques across multiple disciplines, including nurses, physicians, and other clinical and support staff.

This How-to Guide is divided into four sections:

• Section One describes the rationale for why it is important to improve teamwork and communication in medical-surgical units.
• Section Two describes how to get started on designing strategies to improve communication and teamwork.
• Section Three describes strategies to improve communication and teamwork.
• Section Four includes two case studies that illustrate how these changes were implemented to improve staff teamwork and communication.

How to cite this document:

Lee B, Shannon D, Rutherford P, Peck C. Transforming Care at the Bedside How-to Guide: Optimizing Communication and Teamwork. Cambridge, MA: Institute for Healthcare Improvement; 2008. Available at www.IHI.org.

Additional TCAB How-to Guides:

• TCAB How-to Guide: Creating an Ideal Transition Home for Patients with Heart Failure
• TCAB How-to Guide: Developing Front-Line Nursing Managers to Lead Innovation and Improvement
• TCAB How-to Guide: Engaging Front-Line Staff in Innovation and Quality Improvement
• TCAB How-to Guide: Increasing Nurses' Time in Direct Patient Care
• TCAB How-to Guide: Reducing Patient Injuries from Falls
• TCAB How-to Guide: Spreading Innovations to Improve Care on Medical and Surgical Units

Download the tool for detailed information.