Importance of Teamwork in Healthcare
Cross-functional teams are central to the healthcare system, acting as the foundation for delivering care. According to research, such teams are effective in proactively improving patient outcomes by enhancing collaboration and coordination among the healthcare team (Oh, 2020). Such teams enhance the provision of well-coordinated treatments that consider multiple features of a patient’s condition simultaneously. Additionally, for example, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) and the World Health Organization (WHO) stress the centrality of teamwork in healthcare provision. These standards encourage collaboration among practitioners across disciplines to achieve patient-centered care, ensuring that all patient needs are met.
Initial Meeting with Nurse Manager and Interdisciplinary Team Experiences
In my first question to a nurse manager, I sought to understand the concept of nursing management in the context of interdisciplinary teams. From the discussion, it is evident that leadership is required at the administrative, management, and patient care levels to fulfill an organization’s purpose. For practical experience, I observed three team meetings with a team of doctors, a physiotherapist, an occupational therapist, and a nursing staff. The first was with the Patient Care Review Group of nurses, physicians, physical and occupational therapists, and social workers. Most of the meeting discussions focused on analyzing patients with multiple issues and formulating comprehensive treatment intervention plans.
While discussing the Patient Care Review Group Case, the team was in a quandary over a stroke patient presented with mobility problems regarding the application of physical and occupational therapies. The Quality Improvement Committee, where participants analyzed CAUTIs and suggested strengthening protocols and personnel training for catheter use. For instance, a patient with chronic respiratory illness was discussed, and the pharmacist proposed modifications to the medication regimen to improve effectiveness and eliminate side effects.
Roles of Interdisciplinary Team Members
This included the Patient Care Review Team meeting, where the tasks of each team member from different disciplines were clearly described. Nurses were found to have a vital role in clinical decision-making and patient hand-off. Doctors offered medical prowess; they were involved in diagnosing the ailments, prescribing appropriate therapies, and even defining the further care the patient needed. Rehabilitation specialists assisted in establishing physical goals and addressing concerns about motion, targeting therapeutic processes that may improve individuals’ functionality.
For instance, nurses noted that effective communication, specifically patient handoffs during a meeting, enhances patient care. For example, doctors were in a dilemma about which treatment to offer a particular patient with chronic pain, and this decision was based solely on clinical concordance (Ellis & Sevdalis, 2019). Additionally, the rehabilitation specialists described specific exercises tailored to the patient’s condition, demonstrating personalized treatment.
Evaluation of Interdisciplinary Team Interactions
The leadership shown during the interdisciplinary meetings was good, as all the team members were encouraged to work together. Essentially, they directed how the discussions were conducted, actively participated, and made most of the decisions. Interdisciplinary Rounds have been focused on enhancing the efficiency of medication reconciliation processes and decreasing and increasing during admissions (Ellis & Sevdalis, 2019).
For this process, I reviewed the patient’s records for the list of medications, compared them, and flagged discrepancies to the pharmacist for medication reconciliation. It was also noted that the team members were courteous in their communication, attentive listeners, and worked collaboratively during these meetings. This sort of cooperation improved patients’ outcomes and promoted better teamwork, resulting in greater satisfaction among patients and team members and a higher overall care delivery rate.
Potential Issues and Methods for Dealing with Difficult Group Dynamics
While there are benefits to be derived from interdisciplinary teams, adopting the approach may lead to problems, particularly in communication and role conflict. To overcome these issues, some relevant solutions include communication patterns, conflict management, role definition, and assignment procedures. For instance, several internal factors need to be considered when implementing change in clinical practice, among them resistance to change, culture, and resources (Ellis & Sevdalis, 2019). The extent to which the above challenges can be addressed as a nurse leader is by encouraging the adoption of research-based practices, fostering innovation, and empowering frontline staff for improvement.
Communication of Interdisciplinary Team Outcomes
Interdisciplinary team meetings discussed above generated several products. However, their results were disseminated through formal and informal means, such as reports and communication systems like email, telephone, and verbal handover during shift change. Management of action plans and patient care was undertaken, and information was communicated to all healthcare practitioners to ensure the agreed continuity of care and any necessary interventions (Ellis & Sevdalis, 2019). For instance, this systematic approach ensured that all team members were alerted and that the patient’s care was well coordinated across all team branches.
Reflection on the Role of Nurses in Interdisciplinary Teams
Communicating with the nursing leaders in practice has shed light on the need to enhance communication, cooperation, and advocacy for improving inter-professional collaboration within the facility and for the patient’s health. Nurses play an important role as members of the numerous inter-professional teams to encourage patients’ involvement in planning and decision-making, support them in utilizing efficient evidence-based practices, and protect patients’ rights and choices (Lewis et al, 2019). For instance, in a meeting with a nursing director, ideas on how to introduce daily interdisciplinary rounds to improve patient care coordination were developed. For example, I proposed that the patient’s choice should be taken into consideration in decision-making by integrating feedback from the patients themselves.
References
Ellis, G., & Sevdalis, N. (2019). Understanding and improving multidisciplinary team working in geriatric medicine. Age and Ageing, 48(4), 498–505.
Lewis, K. A., Ricks, T. N., Rowin, A., Ndlovu, C., Goldstein, L., & McElvogue, C. (2019). Does simulation training for acute care nurses improve patient safety outcomes: A systematic review to inform evidence‐based practice. Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing, 16(5), 389–396.
Oh, H. (2020). Book review: Evidence-based practices for social workers: An interdisciplinary approach. Research on Social Work Practice, 31(1), 108–110.