NU-664B Week 15 Assignment 1: Interprofessional Collaboration in Health Care

What did you think of the interprofessional interactions in this practice case?

Interprofessional interactions often do not receive enough attention in healthcare, and professional environments more broadly speaking, despite having an outsized impact on outcomes.  According to Dr. Brennan and Dr. Mansell in an article published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a collaborative approach to interprofessionalism can actually decrease mortality rates. (Brennan & Mansell). The practice case highlighted a particularly challenging situation, in which a patient and a loved one of the patient are arguing, and the nurse must get involved.  In such situations, healthcare professionals should form a united front, even if it means collaborating away from the patient and their loved ones in order to get on the same page.  Consistency in messaging shows stability and can often calm the situation and allow for better delivery of care.  Also, healthcare leaders should ensure standard operating procedures are in place that guide professionals towards more cohesive interprofessional interactions.

One method of improving interprofessional interactions is for healthcare professionals to also interact socially. This can humanize relations, and limit the amount of negative interactions, while still allowing for professional but productive disagreements.  According to the NIH published article Social Interaction and Collaboration among Oncology Nurses, socializing allowed nurses to better trust one another, thus making professional bonds stronger and healthcare delivery more superior.  (Moore, Prentice, & McQuestion)

How will it affect your practice in the future?

The best leaders I’ve worked with, including medial doctors, nurse practitioners, registered nurses, and others, have always gone out of their way to get to know their team.  They’ve also encouraged their team to become familiar with each other.  I, too, will implement team building exercises aimed at improving cohesion.  Having worked in the operating room, I’ve learned that stressful procedures are made easier when professionals know each other personally. This can be as simple as remembering a birthday. Furthermore, this case study is a reminder that nurses must collaborate professionally in front of patients.  This makes patients feel calm, which is key to allowing professionals to deliver the best care.  I plan to ensure my team has strict operational procedures for different situations we may encounter, even those as seemingly small, but important, as when and how a patient gets out of bed.

How do you feel about your transition from registered nurse to nurse practitioner; list three key elements of your journey this semester.

I am excited but nervous for my transition from registered nurse to nurse practitioner.  Although I’ve worked long and hard towards this goal, and believe my academic and professional credentials have prepared me, I still feel a small amount of anxiety about the new responsibilities I will hold, specifically in terms of leadership.  One key element I’ve taken from this semester is the importance of having a broad understanding of basic healthcare needs.  Even if a NP specializes in a very niche area, such as Neurology, they still need to have a broad understanding of how other environmental, medical, and social factors can influence health, and they must ensure the registered nurses on their team also appreciate these other factors.  Second, time management is important in so many parts of life, and is especially applicable to leadership in healthcare.  NPs can oversee multiple patients, procedures, and staff, often with limited resources. They must ensure everything runs smoothly, and stays on schedule. Falling behind in delivery of care can negatively impact an entire unit.  Third, this semester reminded me that it is still best to gravitate towards areas I feel most comfortable focusing on.  I have worked in Dermatology for two decades, and continue to enjoy and gravitate towards this field.  I plan to continue moving my career towards Dermatology, as it is a field I am best suited to serve patients.

References

Busari, J. O., Moll, F. M., & Duits, A. J. (2017). Understanding the impact of interprofessional collaboration on the quality of care: a case report from a small-scale resource limited health care environment. Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare, 10, 227–234. https://doi.org/10.2147/JMDH.S140042

Moore, J., Prentice, D., & McQuestion, M. (2015). Social Interaction and Collaboration among Oncology Nurses. Nursing research and practice. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/248067

 

Value: Complete/Incomplete (100 points is Complete and 0 is Incomplete)

Due: Day 7

Gradebook Category: Other Assignments

Complete TeamWorks! Interprofessional Collaboration in Health Care simulation. Write a Reflection and address the following:

• What did you think of the interprofessional interactions in this practice case?
• How will it affect your practice in the future?
• How do you feel about your transition from registered nurse to nurse practitioner; list three key elements of your journey this semester.

Utilize two scholarly references in APA format.
Please refer to the Grading Rubric for details on how this activity will be graded.

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