The concept of shared mental models in healthcare collaboration

Abstract

This theoretically grounded concept analysis provides a foundation for a middle-range descriptive theory of shared mental models in nursing and health care. Further research concerning the impact of shared mental models in the healthcare setting can result in development and refinement of shared mental models to support effective teamwork and collaboration.

An Evaluation of Shared Mental Models and Mutual Trust on General Medical Units: Implications for Collaboration, Teamwork, and Patient Safety

“…This focus was selected because shared mental models may be held about a variety of contents simultaneously, 27 and in health care, the team member roles have been identified as a critical content domain. 30 An expert panel of nurses and physicians who worked at the medical center developed a list of roles for which physicians and nurses were responsible based on knowledge of each professionals' scope of practice and about which they would benefit from having shared mental models.…”

“…Shared mental models are "individually held knowledge structures that help team members function collaboratively in their environments and are comprised of … content, similarity, accuracy and dynamics" (p 7). 27 Mutual trust is "the shared belief that team members will perform their roles and protect the interests of their teammates" (p 1582). 21 These 2 mechanisms align with the themes of shared responsibilities and trust embedded in the conceptual definition of collaboration as it relates to nurses and physicians, 11,12 and they play an important role in the safe delivery of care.…”

Nurse‐to‐nurse shift handoffs on medical–surgical units: A process within the flow of nursing care

“…The aforementioned concept of shared understanding aligns with the team literature on shared mental models (SMMs), thereby offering a framework for educating, assessing and measuring team expectations and knowledge. SMMs are context‐dependent individual knowledge structures that help team members function collaboratively (McComb & Simpson, ). Team STEPPS, a healthcare teamwork system designed by the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, considers SMMs an important support mechanism for teamwork (Baker, Salas, Battles, & King, ).…”

Planning and managing a complex multisite study in the age of technology

“…The intent was to create a research team mentality and to develop each study site leader's ability to function independently, yet collaboratively. Sites were similar in size, simulation resources, and educational focus . Team members contributed based on their own varying depth of research knowledge and expectations.…”