The Impact of Interprofessional Practice in Nursing
The Impact of Interprofessional Practice in Nursing
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Learning Outcome 1
Identify and explain the benefits and challenges of interprofessional practice.
Identify 3 benefits of interprofessional practice
According to Flood et al. (2022), interprofessional practice refers to outweighing professional interests with teamwork. In this case, various professionals collaborate to provide quality patient care. As a result of interconnectedness in healthcare delivery, collaboration between physicians, nurses, social workers, and other providers is necessary in terms of improving health systems, patient care, and work environment. Therefore, in clinical practice, interprofessional practice is beneficial since it is associated with collaboration leading to improved patient care and outcomes. Furthermore, interprofessional practice is important in terms of mitigating medical errors resulting in patient safety (Zechariah et al., 2019). Another benefit is that it fosters collaboration leading to positive patient experiences while ensuring efficient resource use and cost reductions.
Cont. Explain 2 of those benefits briefly.
Interprofessional practice is beneficial in positively influencing patient outcomes (Flood et al., 2022). Collaboration between multiple healthcare professionals’ results in holistic and coordinated care. Team working with different providers ensures that patient needs and preferences are considered contributing to accurate diagnosis, care plans, and better outcomes.
Similarly, interprofessional practice leads to improved patient experiences and effective resource use contributing to a decrease in healthcare costs (Zechariah et al., 2019). Primarily, when a healthcare team works together on a care plan, it can help reduce unnecessary procedures and tests, which decreases the economic burden on healthcare facilities and patients. The National and Midwifery Council ([NMC], 2018) code also provides that healthcare professionals should collaborate in patient care however, it is essential to respect the expertise, skills, and their contribution.
The Impact of Interprofessional Practice in Nursing
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Cont. Explain the 3rd benefit in greater detail.
The third benefit of interprofessional practice is the reduction of medication errors. Patient safety is vital in clinical practice and interprofessional practice is necessary in facilitating it. Through collaborative working, practitioners can recognise and effectively address safety issues such as care transition, handoffs, and medications. Approximately, 22,000 patients died due to medical errors in the UK (Dyer, 2020). Brunton-Douglas et al. (2023) equally argue that communication failure among healthcare practitioners adversely affects shared decision-making and care coordination leading to adverse events. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) also fosters shared decision-making to facilitate patient-centred care (Zisman-Ilani et al., 2021). As such, interprofessional practice is essential and practitioners should work together to identify and minimise risk while promoting patient safety. Likewise, the NMC (2018) code shows that working cooperatively allows providers to preserve the safety of service users.
Cont. Identify 3 challenges of interprofessional practice.
Although interprofessional practice is integral in patient care, communication failure can impede its relevance affecting care coordination (Aquino et al., 2020). Moreover, a lack of trust and respect among various healthcare professionals can affect interprofessional practice. Nonetheless, the NMC (2018) code stipulates that successful cooperative working between professionals relies on respecting colleagues’ skills, expertise, and contributions. The power balance between professionals can prevent the effectiveness of interprofessional practice. Specifically, power differences are caused by educational level, and status, which is unique in every discipline (Song et al., 2023).
Cont. Explain 2 of those challenges briefly.
According to the NMC (2018) respecting the expertise and skills of each professional is crucial in promoting interprofessional practice. However, a lack of trust and respect can adversely affect. Evidence demonstrates that physicians are unwilling to listen to nurses’ input in patient care (Vatn & Dahl, 2022). The failure to recognise each professional contribution is disrespectful and affects trust. Trust is the basis of developing sustainable relationships and is necessary for interprofessional collaboration. This is common among the members of the interprofessional teams. In this case, role modelling trust and respect whilst holding coworkers responsible can facilitate teamwork.
The Impact of Interprofessional Practice in Nursing
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Conti.
Song et al. (2023) found that power disparities between members of the interprofessional team are a hindrance to interprofessional collaboration in practice. Subsequently, the effects of outdated stereotypes where nurses were considered physician assistants and not questioning orders impede interprofessional practice irrespective of their high level of education and training (Noyes, 2022). Equally, Vatn and Dahl (2022) allege that healthcare organisations are hierarchical with the traditional acknowledgment of the responsibility of physicians prevailing over other professionals. The differences are caused by fragmentations in clinical practice and education focusing on the profession and overlooking interprofessional teamwork. The power differences prevent collaboration and directly influence patient care (Vatn and Dahl, 2022).
Cont. Explain the 3rd challenge in greater detail.
Communication is integral in healthcare practice in terms of ensuring effective interaction between healthcare professionals and service users (Tiwary et al., 2019). In the dynamic healthcare system, ineffective communication is common and leads to preventable adverse events including strain on healthcare resources, poor patient outcomes, and staff burnout. Conversely, NHS (2016) shows that communication breakdown between interprofessional teams is the leading contributor to medical errors, compromised patient safety, lengthy hospital stays, and job dissatisfaction. The communication failure between the interprofessional team is caused by different modes of interaction, abbreviations, and assessment tools (Aquino et al., 2020). Fragmented communication systems can prevent information exchange in interprofessional practice. This indicates that common information systems can facilitate shared decision-making and improve communication that hinders the provision of integrated patient care. Thus, when there is poor communication, it affects collaboration between members of the interprofessional practice.
Learning Outcome 2
The Role of a Mental Health Nurse
As a mental health nurse, my task is to provide holistic care to persons with mental ailments. My scope of practice entails carrying out thorough assessments aimed at identifying mental health issues before crafting a tailored treatment regimen (Hartley et al., 2020).
Also, I collaborate with patients, families as well as multidisciplinary teams in formulating and implementing customised therapy plans to tackle the specialised needs of patients. I am equally tasked with providing counseling sessions that enable individual patients to work with their family members in managing symptoms and enhancing coping mechanisms, which then leads to improved wellness.
The Impact of Interprofessional Practice in Nursing
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In addition, part of my work includes administering medication management as well as educating patients and family members about benefits and probable risks (Hartley et al., 2020). I advocate for the rights of patients, especially when it comes to accessing quality mental health care and creating awareness to enable people to understand mental health issues.
Professionals that a Mental Health Nurse Might Need to Work with in a Safeguarding Scenario
To safeguard individuals who are vulnerable from harm or any form of exploitation, I work with a multidisciplinary team including social workers, law enforcement agencies, medical experts, academic professionals, physicians, nurses, legal experts, educationists, and child protection services (Rawlinson et al., 2021). Social workers, for instance, assess and assist persons with social, emotional, and financial issues. Social workers also work with nurses to offer support to individuals at risk and to advocate for their rights and wellness. Educationists’ play a vital of safeguarding individuals as they can detect neglect and abuse early on and inform the appropriate authorities (Rawlinson et al., 2021).
While attorneys offer guidelines on legal issues associated with safeguarding, including protection orders, representation in the courts, and initiating legal proceedings, child protection services investigate allegations of abuse as well as neglect while offering the needed support to individuals and families.
Mental Health Nurse Roles in Safeguarding
One of my tasks in the safeguarding process is about identifying and assessing signs and symptoms that are of prime concern. I undertake detailed assessments by observing, through interviews and risk assessments that enable the identification of individuals at risk of harm, seclusion, or cognitive impairment. This is then followed by intervention and support aimed at mitigating threats and safeguarding the individual by advocating for their rights, and ensuring they have access to the right care and support.
After making assessments, I make recommendations to enable the patient to get specialised services from a social worker or psychiatrist for further assessment and intervention (Bookey-Bassett et al., 2020). Moreover, I am under obligation to implement protective measures to secure mental health patients from harm, which includes ensuring the environment is safe and habitable. Apart from educating mental health patients, the family, and the wide community, I engage other professionals to share vital information, harmonise treatment plans and ensure the safeguarding approach remains as consistent as possible.
Discuss how a mental health nurse role supports other professional roles in the safeguarding process
I work with other healthcare professionals to share critical information, while offering advice and support to impact care outcomes. In particular, I share specialised knowledge on mental health issues with other professionals, including social workers, psychiatrists, and physicians. This is essential as it enables these professionals to comprehend the needs of victims as they assess risk (Bookey-Bassett et al., 2020). Since working with mentally ill patients is excruciating, I provide emotional support to a multidisciplinary team to cope with emotional demands and ensure they are stable as they work with individuals who have been abused or neglected. Also, I facilitate effective communication among diverse professionals to overcome barriers and foster cohesion.
The Impact of Interprofessional Practice in Nursing
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Learning Outcome 3
Reflect on the skills required for collaborative learning and explain how they might be applied in practice.
Identify 1 skill required for collaborative learning.
Communication is an important skill in collaborative learning. This form of learning allows professionals to work cooperatively and acquire insights from each other’s skills (Nortvedt et al., 2019). Furthermore, communication involves information sharing and relationship development through interaction. This skill is vital for nursing care and provides the foundation for developing therapeutic relationships and trust with other professionals, patients, and their families. Nonetheless, Gregory (2024) affirms that communication is a developed skill through learning. As a mental health nurse, I work with psychiatrists, physicians, social workers, and therapists in supporting patients with psychological conditions. In this case, good communication skills present opportunities to learn and recognise the roles as well as contributions of these professionals in patient care.
Conti:- Identify 1 skill required for collaborative learning
Effective communication skills are useful in interprofessional collaboration because it is associated with care coordination, patient safety, shared decision-making, and teamwork (Bok et al., 2020). Moreover, it promotes psychological, social, and emotional support of members of the interprofessional team resulting in patient-centred care.
Evidence demonstrates that mental health nurses encounter service users with various psychiatric needs including depression, anxiety, or serious mental issues (Furnes, Kvaal, and Høye, 2018). In my practice, I encounter patients with diverse mental health conditions and emotions. Therefore, to meet their needs communication skills in collaborative learning offer me an acknowledgment of my emotional response and patients’ challenging behaviours. Self-awareness is particularly useful in effectively assessing patient needs and delivering compassionate, person-centred care
Reflect on your use/experience of that skill.
In practice, communication skills have helped me communicate with patients. For instance, during my placement, I encountered Mrs. A, a 79-year-old with dementia, temporary memory loss, a history of type 1 diabetes, and abnormal vital signs. During the encounter, I noticed the patient was unconscious and unwell evidenced by elevated temperature, low blood pressure, and high heart rate. I escalated the issue to my supervisor. In this respect, I used the situation, background, assessment, and recommendation (SBAR), as a tool for facilitating communication. Vant and Dahl (2019) discovered that SBAR provides clear and systematic communication among healthcare professionals. Furthermore, it offers a shared and predictable means of communicating to minimise misunderstandings.
The Impact of Interprofessional Practice in Nursing
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Conti:-.Reflect on your use/experience of that skill.
In Mrs. A’s scenario, SBAR was useful in communicating with the interprofessional team including the physician, nurses, ophthalmologists, and podiatrist. For instance, the tool helped to communicate to the nurses and physician concerning the patient’s elevated temperature, tachycardia, and hypotension to ensure her safety. The NMC (2018) also suggests the use of available channels to raise deteriorating patients to promote their safety. Therefore, I utilised SBAR to escalate Mrs. A’s deteriorating condition.
Moreover, the patient has a history of type 1 diabetes, therefore, I communicated with the ophthalmologists to identify and promptly manage retinopathy. Retinopathy is common in patients with diabetes (NHS, 2021). As a result, SBAR allowed me to communicate with the ophthalmologist to examine Mrs. A and educate her on the yearly eye examination. Furthermore, I communicated with the podiatrist to identify foot problems while advising her on proper foot care (Blanchette, Brousseau-Foley, and Cloutier, 2020).
Explain how communication skill can be used in mental health practice within interprofessional team
The success of interprofessional teams is anchored on shared decision-making and this encompasses acknowledging the contribution of team members in the formulating and implementing treatment plans (Fox et al., 2021). When the lines of communication are clear, it becomes easy to apportion roles and obligations to allow team players to have a firm grasp of the treatment and their contributions. Also, effective communication skills ensure that team members are able to work in harmony and impact patient outcomes (Fox et al., 2021). Through conferences, telehealth records, and communication protocols, practitioners are able to share information openly in relation to the progress of the patient, challenges encountered along the way, and treatment regimens.
Communication skills is essential when it comes to circumnavigating differences and conflicts
While conflicts are a common occurrence in any clinical setting, effective communication that includes active listening, empathy, and a willingness to strike a common chord is essential when it comes to resolving work-related conflicts. Thus, effective communication skills will ensure that multidisciplinary teams are able to resolve their differences amicably and in a productive way without generating so much heat (Shahzd et al., 2021).
Also, with effective communication, healthcare practitioners would be bold enough to make their voices heard, and champion patients’ rights without tramping on their views. Ultimately, when the work environment is seamless, healthcare practitioners concentrate their efforts on crafting rapport with patients and ensuring they get the utmost care while empowering them to take an active role in their care (Shahzd et al., 2021).
The Impact of Interprofessional Practice in Nursing
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