Facilitating team development is a frequent intervention in hospitals and seen as a probate mean to support the staff. As the method spreads, a need for scientific evidence is articulated. At Freiburg University Hospital, facilitating team development for nursing teams has been empirically evaluated on a broad data basis. The studies focussed on how nurses in a university centre of high tech medicine experience their work situation, what (psychological) stress they feel exposed to and how they appraise the contribution of facilitating team development to prevent and come to terms with that stress. Results prove the effects and benefits of the intervention, particularly with regard to communicational difficulties within the nursing staff and to problems of interdisciplinary cooperation. The sine qua non of successful intervention, as notifying future participants about this particular method or the adequate formation of the group is highlighted.