Collaborative Nursing Practice

In the beginning of this activity, I did not know much about collaboration between different healthcare professionals. It helped me to clarify the meaning of a healthcare team and also to understand the role of different professionals in the team. Different team members have their specific roles and all of them work together to achieve a common goal –healthier patient. They work independently, but when it comes to decision making they seek advice from other healthcare provider in order to do the best for the patient. Not only doctor, physiotherapists, pharmacists and etc. are considered being part of the team. Patients must also be considered part of the decision making process,

“All health care disciplines share a common and primary commitment to serving the patient and working toward the ideal of health for all.” (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 2014, p. 1) There are many different professional members in the healthcare system. Each of them, have a specific specialty and responsibility to the patient and play an important role in the patient’s overall plan of care. “The scope of health care mandates that health professionals work collaboratively and with other related disciplines. Collaboration emanates from an understanding and appreciation of the roles and contributions that each discipline brings to the care delivery experience.” (American Association of Colleges of

Health care has evolved and is continuously evolving. The management of care now involves different clinicians to better assess, diagnose and cure a patient. The clinicians evolved from a general practitioner to a team now comprised of Physician’s Assistant, Nurse, License Practical Nurse and Specialists. These health care professionals now compose a team of health care providers that are essential in a patient’s over all health care. The team-based approach is a delivery system that provides a patient an all-encompassing health care delivery system. “ By practicing in a team-based care model, physicians and other

Multidisciplinary rounds approach calls for various members of the medical profession to synchronize individual skills, knowledge, and expertise in order to provide quality care for patients (IHI, 2015). The team members consist of nurses, physicians, “ancillary clinicians, and staff” (IHI, 2015, p.4). Each member contributes to the care of the patient individually, but in a cohesive manner (IHI, 2015). The multidisciplinary rounds care model strongly encourages and utilizes parental involvement during rounds (IHI, 2015). Multidisciplinary rounds also solicit parents and family members to communicate with the care team care as well as care team communications concerning the patient to the family (IHI, p.4). For each patient, the rounds are conducted daily (IHI, 2015). For each patient, goals are set daily (IHI, 2015). This ensures daily communication among care team and with patient and the families of the patient (IHI, 2015). The idea is to establish good coordination of care; thus, making safe and efficient care more consistent (IHI, 2015). As the protocols or the guidelines are clearly communicated among care teams, risks are identified, and staff are educated, the quality of health care improves (IHI, 2015).

Many examples of innovative professional practice have been highlighted throughout recent literature; which suggest that the needs of a patient are best met by an interprofessional team. (Caldwell & Atwal, 2003) Benefits from effective interprofessional practice include improved health outcomes, interprofessional team effectiveness and efficiency, job satisfaction among interprofessional team members, cost efficiency and respect for the roles of other health professionals and colleagues. (McNair, Brown, Stone & Sims, 2001) Interprofessional practice is critical to the provision of effective and efficient health care; given the complexity of patient's healthcare needs and the range of health providers and organisations. (Reeves et al.,

Registered nurses and members of various professions exchange knowledge and ideas about how to deliver high quality health care, resulting in overlaps and constantly changing professional practice boundaries. This inter-professional team collaboration involves recognition of the expertise of others within and outside one’s profession and referral to those providers when appropriate. (American Nurses Association, 2010, p. 33)

Care coordination within health care systems ensures the client of an effective and short stay. Care coordination refers to the coordination between and among professional teams that serve valuable roles involved in providing care to clients. Different disciplines of health care professionals include nursing, medicine, case management, pharmacy, nutrition, social work, and allied health professionals, such as speech therapists and physical therapists. They are found in all health care delivery systems and are extremely effective when the focus is strictly on the needs of the client. Interprofessional teams are valuable because each health care professional has specialized knowledge and skills so that health care plans are determined with

Patients with complex chronic conditions can benefit from nurse-led care coordination in ambulatory care settings in the aspect of reductions in ED visits and hospitalizations. Nurses provide guided-care and facilitate cross setting communication and transition between specialty and primary providers (Haas & Swan, 2014). Nurses support patient decision-making and self-care management. Nurses hear concerns and goals of patients and enhance their engagement in care interventions. Nurses empower patients and families in understanding health care resources and seeking consultation prior to increased severity of the disease (Forbes III, 2014).

Fragmentation of care increases the vulnerability of the frail elderly patients, which contributes to increased readmissions to the hospital. To overcome this problem all health care providers need to work as a team. Teamwork starts from the day of admission to the hospital until the patient is discharged to the SNF and is followed by the advanced practice nurse (APN) or is discharged to home and is followed by the primary care provider in the community. To reduce fragmentation and improve the transition of care, coordinated care between the healthcare providers in the hospital or acute care facility, the SNF, and the community is required, as well as coordination with the informal, family caregivers (Coleman, 2003; Coleman, 2009; Coleman & Boult,

Working in a team is an important responsibility by understanding each other’s role which may include doctor, nurse, occupational therapist, physiotherapist and many more. Team members divide the work based on their scope practice such as acute care, metal health care, homecare etc. Interprofessional collaboration practice is decision making and communicating between individuals for their patient’s health based on their knowledge and skills. It helps to promote habits, maximizing health resources, leading care to be safer with patient’s satisfaction and Canada’s health care (Kenaszchuk, Reeves, Nicholas, & Zwarenstein, 2010).

Collaborative nurse with cardiac telemetry experience among adult patients. Energetic patients advocate skilled in successfully providing quality care and counseling to both patients and families. Motivated team leader continually focused on coordination and efficiency of patient care practices in accordance with JCAHO and nursing scope of practice.

Coordinated care with health care providers, nurses, and case managers to assist in delivering quality patient care.

In order to collaborate successfully with the other members of the team, they have to ‘work together’. Collaboration implies “working together to achieve something that neither agency could achieve alone” (cited by Biggs in Day, 2006, p9). It involves effective communication and contribution to a common goal – and the health and wellbeing of the patient and shared responsibility of the outcome. Each team requires a quality leader, regular meetings attended by all members, joint assessment, regular reviews of patient records which should include ‘shared care plans’; joint decisions following consultation and task delegation to individual team members with the outcome being that “care must be structured, organised and systematically provided to each person in a variety of ways” (Creating an Interprofessional Workforce, 2007, p10).

According to American Nurses Association (2010) Scope and Standards of Nursing Practice, collaboration is defined as, “a professional healthcare partnership grounded in a reciprocal and respectful recognition and acceptance of: each partner’s unique expertise, power, and sphere of influence and responsibilities; commonality of goals; the mutual safeguarding of the legitimate interest of each party; and the advantages of such a relationship”.(p. 64). Collaboration amongst health care providers is very crucial in providing quality care to patients. Integration of disciplinary teams, improves communication, coordination, and most importantly, the safety and quality of patient care. It provides interaction between team members allowing

Teams working in a hospital or other healthcare setting may consist of several physicians, nurses, medical assistants, referral coordinators, pharmacists, therapists, and students among others. Such large teams can provide comprehensive care for complex and chronic illnesses, but when they fail to work well together, they