The implementation and outcomes of self-managing teams in elderly care: A scoping review

AIMS: Map the existing evidence and gaps in research on the implementation and outcomes of self-managing elderly care teams.

BACKGROUND: Due to increasing demand for elderly nursing care and an ageing workforce, recruiting and retaining community nurses has become challenging. Implementing self-managing teams may be a solution to address this problem.

EVALUATION: Scoping review including 27 studies, varying from narrative reviews to a quantitative cross-sectional study. The studies' primary focus on self-managing teams was essential for eligibility.

KEY ISSUES: Nurses' job satisfaction was high in self-managing teams due to improved relationships with patients and increased autonomy. Continuity of care and patient acceptability were high. Transformation of managers to coaches in a team with a flat hierarchy is needed to empower nurses with responsibility for their own work. Trust and teamwork should be assisted by suitable ICT support systems.

CONCLUSION: International interest in self-managing teams is large, but quantitative research is limited and guidelines for implementation are needed. Recommendations for potential successful implementation were made.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Nurse autonomy and job satisfaction can increase by implementing self-managing teams. This requires a change in management styles, from managing to coaching nurses.