Interprofessional collaboration involves a continuous interaction and knowledge sharing between professionals that will help improve patient care and outcomes. American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN, 2011) describes four competency domains to include:
“The goal of interprofessional collaboration if to produce a “synthesis of the information such that the outcomes are more than the additive”” ((Muir, 2008, p. 5.), Arnold and Boggs, 2011, p.474) interprofessional collaboration “enables practitioner’s to learn new skills and approaches, and encourages synergistic creativity among professionals.” (Arnold and Boggs, 2011, p. 474). “Collaboration decreases fragmentation and duplication of effort and promotes safe quality of care, presents desired characteristics
Finkleman (2006, cited in Ndoro, 2014) states there are many advantages of working in multidisciplinary teams, such as professionals having a greater understanding of one another’s job roles. This permits greater communication between each other. Working within a multidisciplinary team enables collaborative working and improves patient care. Although collaborative person-centred care is vital, it needs improvement. Khalili, Hall & Deluca (2014) support Ndoro (2014) by stating that there is competition and hierarchies between health-care professionals, preventing collaborative working. The aim of interprofessional practice is to replace these barriers with co-operation and equality to provide person-centred care. Khaili, Hall & Deulca (2014) go on to explain that failures to implement collaborative practice has led to destruction of care, disappointment for both clients and practitioners and poor quality of care is then the outcome.
Patient safety experts have demonstrated that “patient safety increases when teamwork and collaboration skills are taught and empowered; when teamwork and collaboration are not present, medical errors will result” (Creasia & Friberg, 201, p. 348). As a nurse, it is imperative to collaborate with other interdisciplinary members in health care and also strive to research and implement evidence-based practices. Evidence-based practice is necessary to “ensure the highest quality of cost-effective care and the best patient outcomes” (Fineout-Overholt, 2011, para. 16). With a collaborative and innovative attitude on safe health care practices, an increase in patient safety and effectiveness of care will
It is defined as the integrated care, team approach, and communication between health care members in the effort to provide a functional work environment (Clarke, & Hassmiller, 2013). To summarize, professions across a health care organization should come together to improve the work environment to achieve the same goals to ensure that as a team, outcomes are being met. The Institute of Medicine (2010) believes this is an area that needs vast improvement, and due to fact that interprofessional leadership is not implemented as the standard throughout the hospitals nationwide. The Institute also believes that collaboration is a key strategy for improving problem solving (2010). “Quality care is best provided in a healthy, functional work environment” (Finkelman, et al, p477, 2013). With that being said, interprofessional leadership should be implemented more across the nation in an effort to provide a healthy, functional work environment. Nurses can have an impact on leadership in several different roles, but one is by influencing health
A healthcare system should include an interprofessional team that works well together. If everyone in the interprofessional team is not cooperative or passionate about building the group, this may impact a patient’s outcome. The goal of an interprofessional team within a healthcare system is to provide the finest quality of care for their patients. If one or multiple cannot put the effort to work with others, the intended result may be corrupt. It is vital for healthcare interprofessional teams to function as a whole to provide the greatest result.
Upon arriving to the unit this morning, I quickly realized today was going to be a chaotic day with the current patient census, and all of the new admissions. I was able to assist the night charge nurse with today’s assignments, while she helped with the code, and the day began. I informed my team that today was going to be a long day, and encouraged them to use each other and myself for help. I recommended they taking a few minutes to coordinate their work after receiving report.
Nurse’s role has a unique contribution in the interprofessional team. The interprofessional team are group of individuals in a various healthcare disciplines communicating and working together towards common goals to provide quality, individualized care for patients. Each team members from different profession and occupation collaborates, supports, enhances, and provides knowledge, skills, and attitudes to coordinate processes and interventions. Nurse’s offers specialized service to society to meet the health care needs of their clients.
High quality, accessible, and patient care which is considered to be patient-centered is crucial for quick and quality recovery (Wilkinson, 2012). Plans require visions that involve the creation of interprofessional competencies by students who are planning to take up nursing as their profession. Providing such skills to students will ensure that they get into the workforce ready to engage in the effective creation of teamwork and even team-based care (Eastman, 2010). My current station of work is an example where continuing competence is to build on each professional nurse. They are expected to engage in interdisciplinary collaboration so as to ensure best practices are adhered to. Some of the required competency skills are taught within the professions.
Growing up in Eastern Europe in the midst of the social and political turmoil, I learned very early that success in life depends on the availability of opportunity coupled with personal efforts, determination, and hard work. I was inspired by the “American Dream,” which, ultimately, became a part of my dreams and aspirations. Coming to the United States opened up that door of opportunities I had desired for so long. Having no family or source of financial support in the foreign country, I completed the Basic Life Support course and became an Emergency Medical Technician. Working on the front-line of Emergency Services, I enjoyed that rush of adrenaline of being able to provide medical aid and emotional support to the people in the worst times
No matter how hard we may try, the importance of interprofessional collaboration in the healthcare system cannot be stressed enough. Of course, interprofessional care has a wide range of advantages in the smooth operating of a team. What is also to be taken into account, however, is the unbounded benefits from the patient’s perspective. As we all know – unfortunately many from our own experiences – the road to recovery requires not only the carefully calibrated skills and expertise of the individual but also the cooperation and constant communication of a vast team of healthcare providers. Through this complex operation come the many advantages to the patient’s treatment and overall health.
For example, in the health care provider field, the nurses should collaborate with the other health care professional like the doctor, pharmacist, physiotherapy or the radiography in order to achieve the common goal which for the patient’s
Interprofessional collaboration amongst health and non-health professionals is integral in optimizing health outcomes and promoting health. This is an important concept that is practiced by nurses on a daily basis, especially in a community setting. Interprofessional
In general, one important aspect of a team in a healthcare environment is the emergence of teamwork. In teamwork, every team members has a role to partake so that the organizational goals of the institution will be met and success will be achieved. There should be a skills mix, were functional expertise can be found in each members so that each and everyone has its own designated task to accomplish and at the end all of the research and work that have done will be gathered to create a something that will benefit the workplace. Since teamwork involves everybody, problem solving skill or decision making skill should also be present to all members so that when an issue or problem
Detailed and timely communication among registered nurses (RNs) and other team members such as UAP, leads to improved quality measures and outcomes. In fact, studies have shown that negative outcomes were often linked to an error in communication. As such, safety, delegation, and quality of care are dependent on one another. In other words, effective teamwork among the nursing