Enhancing Team Identity and Morale With Visual Cues: A Quality Improvement Intervention Using Staff Photo Posters

Background Team cohesion and psychological safety are essential for effective clinical care, yet in large or rotating orthopaedic departments, staff may struggle to recall colleagues' names or feel fully included, especially junior doctors. This is compounded by the shift to more remote and online interaction in the post-COVID world. We introduced a low-cost visual cue intervention to improve team identity, communication, and morale. Intervention Photo posters displaying the names and faces of all doctors in the department were created and displayed in key team areas (offices, meeting rooms, and clinics). The aim was to make it easier to recognise and remember team members, improve team spirit, and help junior doctors feel more included. Methods This consultant-supported quality improvement project was conducted in a London orthopaedic department. Following the six-month implementation of the posters, a department-wide anonymous survey was distributed to all 24 doctors. The survey included free-response questions assessing the impact of the posters on name recall, team spirit, and junior doctor inclusion. Results All 24 doctors responded (100% response rate); 100% reported noticing the posters; 87.5% (n=21) used them to recall a colleague's name; and 91.7% (n=22) felt the posters improved team spirit. Among the 15 junior doctors (non-consultants), 86.7% reported that the posters contributed to a heightened sense of inclusion within the team. Conclusion This simple, low-cost intervention was well received and had a positive impact on team cohesion, name recognition, and junior doctor inclusion. The success of this intervention suggests potential for wider use in similar clinical settings, particularly those with high staff turnover or large multidisciplinary teams.