Groups The dynamic and increasingly complex world of health care often requires nurses to work collaboratively on interprofessional teams. In the group environment, individuals with unique skills and expertise come together to focus on a common goal; however, groups must become cohesive before they can become effective. Your experiences working with groups—whether you perceive them as positive, negative, or neutral—can be used to facilitate insight and development. Health care, with its focus on interprofessional teamwork and collaboration, offers ample opportunities and an imperative for continuous learning. For this Discussion, you focus on strategies for facilitating the group process. To prepare: Review the information in this week’s Learning Resources regarding the stages of group formation, problematic roles individuals play in groups, and strategies for facilitating and maintaining positive group collaboration. In particular, review Learning Exercise 19.12 on page 464 of the course text. Reflect on various groups with which you have been or are currently involved. Select one specific group to analyze for the purposes of this Discussion. Identify the purpose or task that the group is or was meant to perform. Consider the four stages of group formation (forming, storming, norming, and performing). How would you describe the progression between stages? Is there a stage in which you believe your group is or was “stuck”? Consider the task or group-building role you normally play in a group setting. How could you apply the information from the Learning Resources to improve your group participation and facilitation, as well as the functioning of the group as a whole? In addition, think about which individuals within your group (including yourself) may fall into problematic roles such as the Dominator, the Aggressor, or the Blocker. How have you and your group members addressed the enactment of these roles and its impact on interactions? With information from the Learning Resources in mind, what strategies would you apply now or going forward? Post - (1) a description of a group with which you have been or are currently involved. (2) Assess where the group is in terms of the four stages of group formation. (3) If you are reflecting on a past experience, explain if your group moved through all four stages. (4) Describe the task or group-building role you typically play, or played, in this group. Then, (5) explain what strategies you, as a leader, can apply to better facilitate the group process and address any problematic individual roles in the group . REQUIRED RESOURCES Readings Marquis, B. L., & Huston, C. J. (2015). Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: Theory and application (8th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins. Chapter 19 “Organizational, Interpersonal, and Group Communication” Chapter 19 covers many aspects of the communication process, including group communication. As you read.

1. Groups
The dynamic and increasingly complex world of health care
often requires nurses to work collaboratively on
interprofessional teams. In the group environment, individuals
with unique skills and expertise come together to focus on a
common goal; however, groups must become cohesive before
they can become effective.
Your experiences working with groups—whether you perceive
them as positive, negative, or neutral—can be used to facilitate
insight and development. Health care, with its focus on
interprofessional teamwork and collaboration, offers ample
opportunities and an imperative for continuous learning.
For this Discussion, you focus on strategies for facilitating the
group process.
To prepare:
Review the information in this week’s Learning Resources
regarding the stages of group formation, problematic roles
individuals play in groups, and strategies for facilitating and
maintaining positive group collaboration. In particular, review
Learning Exercise 19.12 on page 464 of the course text.
Reflect on various groups with which you have been or are
currently involved. Select one specific group to analyze for the
purposes of this Discussion. Identify the purpose or task that
the group is or was meant to perform.
Consider the four stages of group formation (forming, storming,
norming, and performing). How would you describe the
progression between stages? Is there a stage in which you

2. believe your group is or was “stuck”?
Consider the task or group-building role you normally play in a
group setting. How could you apply the information from the
Learning Resources to improve your group participation and
facilitation, as well as the functioning of the group as a whole?
In addition, think about which individuals within your group
(including yourself) may fall into problematic roles such as the
Dominator, the Aggressor, or the Blocker. How have you and
your group members addressed the enactment of these roles and
its impact on interactions? With information from the Learning
Resources in mind, what strategies would you apply now or
going forward?
Post
- (1) a description of a group with which you have been or are
currently involved. (2) Assess where the group is in terms of the
four stages of group formation.
(3) If you are reflecting on a past experience, explain if your
group moved through all four stages. (4) Describe the task or
group-building role you typically play, or played, in this group.
Then, (5) explain what strategies you, as a leader, can apply to
better facilitate the group process and address any problematic
individual roles in the group
.
REQUIRED RESOURCES
Readings
Marquis, B. L., & Huston, C. J. (2015).
Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: Theory
and application
(8th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.

3. Chapter 19 “Organizational, Interpersonal, and Group
Communication”
Chapter 19 covers many aspects of the communication process,
including group communication. As you read this chapter, focus
on the stages of group development (forming, storming,
norming, performing) and group dynamics (group task roles,
group building and maintenance roles, problematic roles).
Consider how you can apply these concepts as you engage in
group work.
Adams, S. L., & Anantatmula, V. (2010). Social and behavioral
influences on team process.
Project Management Journal, 41
(4), 89–98.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
In this article, the authors report on the effects of individual
behaviors on project teams and provide a model that identifies
the progress of social and behavioral development. For each
stage, the authors provide recommendations for managing team
members.
Chun, J. S., & Choi, J. N. (2014). Members' needs, intragroup
conflict, and group performance.
The Journal Of Applied Psychology
,
99
(3), 437-450. doi:10.1037/a0036363
This study theorizes and empirically investigates the
relationships among the psychological needs of
group
members, intragroup conflict, and
group performance.
Haynes, J., & Strickler, J. (2014). TeamSTEPPS makes strides
for better communication.
Nursing

4. ,
44
(1), 62-63. doi:10.1097/01.NURSE.0000438725.66087.89
Teamwork and communication are the focus of this article and
include the use of the TeamStepps model for Quality
Improvement.
Hogg, M. A., Van Knippenberg, D., & Rast, D. E., III. (2012).
Intergroup leadership in organizations: Leading across group
and organizational boundaries.
Academy of Management Review, 37
(2), 232–255.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
The authors of this article introduce a theory on intergroup
leadership that is based on social theory and intergroup
relations. This theory purports that intergroup performance
relies on a leader’s capacity to create intergroup relational
identities.
Kaufman, B. (2012). Anatomy of dysfunctional working
relationships.
Business Strategy Series, 13
(2), 102–106.
Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
Kaufman examines the impact of dysfunctional working
relationships in an organization. She provides managers with
tips that will allow them to identify early warning signs of
dysfunctional behavior and to minimize its effects in the
workplace.
Mind Tools. (2012). Forming, storming, norming and
performing: Helping new teams perform effectively, quickly.
Retrieved from
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_86.htm
This web article discusses stages of team development and

5. provides strategies for moving through the early stages
effectively.
Mind Tools. (2009). Team charters. Retrieved from
http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMM_95.htm
This web page features helpful information about team
charters. Before you begin work on the Week 7 Assignment, you
may find it helpful to create a charter that can guide your
group’s work together.
Ortega, A., Sánchez-Manzanares, M., Gil, F., & Rico, R.
(2013). Enhancing team learning in nursing teams through
beliefs about interpersonal context.
Journal Of Advanced Nursing
,
69
(1), 102-111. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2648.2012.05996.x
This article examines the relationship between team-level
learning and performance in nursing teams, and the role of
beliefs about the interpersonal context in this relationship.
Table Group. (n.d.). Retrieved July 24, 2012, from
http://www.tablegroup.com/
Patrick Lencioni is recognized worldwide for his work on
teams. Under the Patrick Lencioni link, download and read
articles related to addressing team dysfunctions.
Optional Resources
Marquis, B. L., & Huston, C. J. (2015).
Leadership roles and management functions in nursing: Theory
and application
(8th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.
Chapter 16, “Socializing and Educating Staff for Team Building
in a Learning Organization”