Nursing Publications
Persistent Isolationist or Collaborator? The Nurse’s Role in Interprofessional Collaborative Practice
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
4-2010
Journal
Journal of Nursing Management
Volume
18
Issue
3
First Page
248
Last Page
257
URL with Digital Object Identifier
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2834.2010.01072.x
Abstract
Aim The present study explores current understanding about interprofessional collaborative client-centred practice and nursing’s role in this form of care delivery.
Background A profession-only focus on nursing practice has been challenged at professional, national governmental and World Health Organization levels stressing for more interprofessional patient-centred collaborative teamwork.
Evaluation Moving to patient-centred collaborative practice is fraught with barriers. Enablers can result in building trust, power sharing and shared decision-making. Changing current workplace environments requires institutional commitments to support collaborative team development.
Key issue(s) Nurses can become collaborative members of teams through: (1) re-socialize; (2) understanding and articulating nurses roles, knowledge and skills to others; (3) other health providers sharing the same to nurses; (4) identifying where shared roles, knowledge and skills exist; and (5) learning to work in collaborative teams. Nurses must address some fundamental issues about practice that negate collaboration and patient-centred care.
Conclusions All professionals, including nurses, must move away from a service-oriented delivery to a patient-centred collaborative approach to care.
Implications for nursing management The values within health organizations need to be underpinned by collaborative interprofessional patient-centred practice. To accomplish this goal, administrators and managers must support assessment of employees and visiting physicians as to their conformance with agency established expectations for such practice.
