Team work and in-patient care transition among physicians and nurses at two tertiary hospitals in the South-East Region, Jamaica

Background Effective teamwork and communication are essential for safe and coordinated patient care. Poor care transitions have been associated with increased risk of adverse clinical events. Objectives To assess teamwork and care transition among physicians and nurses at two tertiary hospitals in the South-East Regional Health Authority, Jamaica, and to identify factors associated with positive teamwork and care transition scores. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 328 physicians and nurses using a self-administered questionnaire incorporating the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture. Logistic regression models identified predictors of positive scores for teamwork within units, teamwork across units, and handoffs and transitions. Results Positive percent scores were 72.6% for teamwork within units, 45.1% for teamwork across units, and 43.0% for handoffs and transitions. Staff position was a significant predictor across all composites. Physicians were significantly less likely than nurses to report positive perceptions of teamwork within units (OR = 0.51, p = 0.037), teamwork across units (OR = 0.17, p = 0.002), and handoffs and transitions (OR = 0.23, p = 0.001). Shorter hospital tenure was associated with better teamwork within unit scores, while older age predicted higher teamwork across units scores. Conclusion Teamwork within units scores were good, while scores for teamwork across units and handoffs and transitions scores were low, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to strengthen interdepartmental collaboration and standardize communication during patient transfers. Staff position and experience emerged as key score predictors. The findings argue for team-based training and the use of structured handoff protocols to improve patient safety culture.