Utilization of nursing teams in the collection of blood.

The practice of nursing is group oriented. This was recognized in the past, but has only recently gained full acknowledgment by nursing management. The concept of team assignment for the nursing staff was implemented in the blood program several years ago. The problems of the professional nurse in blood banking are not the same as in an acute or an extended care facility. Team assignments can improve both the delivery of care and the efficiency of the operation in the blood program. This paper describes many of the problems incurred under the system of conventional staffing and will show how these problems can be either eliminated or modified through the use of team assignment. Two centers experienced with permanent team assignments report these conclusions.