Evidently, teamwork is one of the most critical and significant areas of the nursing occupation and medical sphere in general. The described project on the topic of meditation techniques involved a teamwork approach to the subject, which facilitated the understanding of the significance of meditation in the nursing. From the professional perspective, the gained teamwork experience, skills necessary for collaboration and health promotion, and a comprehensive analysis of Neumann University Core Values can noticeably improve my abilities to cooperate with the colleagues and perform my working duties.

Teamwork Experience

The easiest part of the project accomplishment was establishing understanding among group members since they had prepared themselves for such type of work before the meetings beginning. According to Yoost and Crawford, effective communication and interpersonal competence represent some of the most significant characteristics of effective teamwork. These qualities were evident within the group due to the adequate preparation that each member had, which facilitated the discussion. For example, during the meetings, Berdannette, Danielle, and I debated actively and shared insights as Dana regulated the entire discussion. Among all of us, Alicia was always the most open to suggestions; thus, she could clarify even the most complicated issue with every member of the team before arriving at a conclusion. Her approach to controversial topics helped the other team members to value the spirit of consulting each other before regarding any decision as final.

Nonetheless, the team still experienced some challenges. For instance, some members did not present their issues coherently, which resulted in numerous consultations. In one of the discussions via the email system, Alicia claimed feeling offended when other members could not explain issues the way she had expected. Despite such challenge, all the group members managed to cooperate and find a possibility to obtain much information regarding the relevance of meditation to the nursing profession.

Necessary Skills Related to Teamwork

During the discussions of arguable and controversial issues, I realized that I needed to approach the group collaboration exploiting sense of humor, which is a necessary attribute for effective teamwork according to Yoost and Crawford. Instead of applying this technique, I spent an extreme amount of time making necessary clarifications regarding the main topic, which sometimes had result opposite to my expectations. Indeed, Yoost and Crawford  indicate that humor can enhance effectiveness of collaboration and assist the nurse in delegating certain duties. Therefore, I need to inculcate this quality and find the most appropriate way to apply it in order to enhance effective teamwork at the workplace.

I also need to develop analytical skills in a proper manner and recognize the competencies of others as useful as mine to improve collaboration in my future teams. For instance, on one occasion, I disapproved of the views of Dana when she claimed that meditation could help to relieve fatigue without supporting her views with relevant evidence. Yoost and Crawford assert that valuation of complementary skills within the group can enhance the functionality of the team by helping team members to collaborate effectively, thus facilitating delegation of roles. Therefore, I have to appreciate the insights and ideas of others by analyzing their contributions precisely before disapproving of them.

Necessary Skills for Health Promotion

To accomplish the task of the health promotion successfully, nurses should express respect for others and embrace accountability. According to Neumann University, respecting the views of other individuals can establish effective communication between all participants of a treatment process. Therefore, the nurse can learn to be patient towards other people, understand their background, and recommend health interventions that do not violate their beliefs. Furthermore, Yoost and Crawford recognize accountability as a useful skill that can improve the efficiency of the team performance and, therefore, enhance delegation of roles. Consequently, every nurse in the health promotion team can learn to accept any outcome their delegated functions and correct them when necessary without feeling offended.

Definition of Neumann University Core Values

Reverence

Reverence is the first value which advocates for “appreciating the sacred worth and dignity of each person”. Thus, such ideals as compassion towards one another and reconciliation are useful in strengthening this value regardless of the backgrounds of individuals. From religious perspective, God is perceived as the father, and Jesus is a brother who can together unite people in love and help them to care for each other from birth until death.

Integrity

This value involves “speaking truth and love”; according to it, Neumann University recommends acting justly and ethically under any circumstances and avoiding taking credit for what one does not own. Thus, everybody should be accountable for their actions and establish a good foundation for others to live and work.

Service

According to this notion, everyone must put maximum efforts into the process of society transformation. Providing services in “humility, compassion, and love” is the primary concern of the service value. Therefore, people must be attentive to the needs of others, particularly for those perceived to be weak in the society.

Excellence

This value recommends people to work on the responsibilities entrusted to them to the best of their ability. According to Neumann University, “cooperation rather than competition” is a necessary part of the nursing occupation. In order to achieve excellence, students and tutors should cooperate during the learning process to improve the quality of education and knowledge perception.

Stewardship

This last value recognizes that all creation belongs to God. Therefore, people should receive all resources available to them “gratefully, use carefully, and share generously”. Observing this value can guarantee receipt of proper services by all people thus helping them to work for a common good.

Examples of Core Values That Occurred During the Project

Each member of the team put a vast amount of efforts to implement all the five values were during the project preparation process. Firstly, all members valued one another, applying the principle of reverence. For example, during one of our meetings, Dana’s opinion differed from Alicia’s regarding the effectiveness of meditation in alleviating fatigue. The disagreement continued for about ten minutes, but the two group participants remained objective as they respected each other’s ideas and time for expressing them. Secondly, we were honest about our readings, thus substantiating our contributions with evidence and following the basic of integrity. For instance, I preferred not to provide my group mates with some controversial data I found since I did not have sufficient evidence. Thirdly, all team members showed the willingness to help each other understand the points that were raised, therefore offering their service. In particular, Bernadette helped me to access a link to a site that discussed meditation and fatigue sharing her password. Fourthly, team members tried to perform at their best, implementing the principle of excellence. For example, Alicia incorporated a habit of asking other group members questions to ensure that we grasped the concept of meditation. Finally, we appreciated that the materials we used to discuss were not ours, expressing our stewardship. Particularly, we recognized the contribution of various researchers to the topic of meditation making solid references t their works. In general, utilization of Neumann University core values revealed our readiness to become competent nurses during our practice.

Value for Personal Development

In order to become a professional in my field, I need to strengthen my dedication to three values, namely reverence, service, and excellence. For instance, during our exchange of ideas via the email system, I instantly opposed the concepts proposed by Dana although they were credible. Thus, I should strengthen my reverence so that insights of my fellow team members can receive the thorough analysis and amount of time they deserve. Additionally, I failed to provide one source I had cited during one of the meetings, which meant I could not apply it to my next argument, thus failing the task entrusted to me by my group. Thus, I need to develop a strong sense of service to my fellow team members to enhance the quality of our collaboration. Finally, I noticed that I performed to the best of my ability, but occasionally I did not have enough evidence to support my views, which worsened my excellence. For example, I was explaining the importance of adequate sleep as a meditation method of helping nurses to overcome burnout at the workplace; I could not support the opinion with relevant details until Danielle assisted. Thus, I should improve my excellence not only to sharpen my knowledge but also to be a valuable member to the future collaborative efforts in the healthcare environment.

Conclusion

In conclusion, an efficient team must maintain values and develop skills that bind members together and allow them to perform efficiently. To achieve it, our team pursued the goal of following all core principles of Neumann University. We all tried to embrace the values as fully as possible although I noticed I needed to strengthen my reverence, service, and excellence. Incorporating these values in my working routine will assist me to develop professionally and help my patients recover from illnesses properly.

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