Introduction
Nowadays, there are numerous methods that are implemented in order to strengthen the system of medical care, and interprofessional collaboration is one of them. Interprofessional collaboration is a joint effort of workers from various professional backgrounds aimed to deliver the highest quality of care to those who need it (Gonzalo, Himes, & Lehman, 2016). In this paper, the work of interprofessional teams that are presented in hospitals will be discussed. In addition, the functions of the team that could be improved will be included.
Compassion
Interprofessional care is a method that is actively supported by workers of various areas of expertise, especially among healthcare specialists. Indeed, the nature of medical help implies the cooperative work of professionals who specialize in the treatment of different parts of the human body. However, in most cases, specialists work in different buildings of a hospital, which makes the process of collaboration more difficult. Therefore, implementing the iCARE system is crucial for large hospitals.
It is necessary to notice that compassion remains an essential component of nurses’ work. The research proves that patients see compassion as based on actions that show efforts aimed to know patients (Curtis, 2014). Therefore, nurses can build effective communication with patients by spending more time learning information about them. It helps to understand the circumstances that cause health issues, which impacts patients’ outcomes positively. It is achieved through the support of the interprofessional teams as therapists give recommendations to nurses about the information that should be learned. Also, it impacts the culture of the organization positively because this type of collaboration promotes effective communication among co-workers.
Advocacy
In addition to compassion, nurses contribute to the advocacy of patients. It can be performed through the protection of patients’ rights, ensuring patients’ safety, giving them a voice, and checking the errors that might happen in the process of treatment (Davoodvand, Abbaszadeh, & Ahmadi, 2016). For example, giving a voice means that nurses stay with patients when doctors explain their diagnosis and help them ask questions and understand the information presented in medical terminology. It is implemented through the support of doctors and therapists and impacts the professional culture positively through the frequent collaboration of nurses and doctors.
Resilience
Another significant part of nurses’ work is their contribution to resilience. Resilience is the ability of workers to collaborate effectively in stressful situations. In this case, the support of a professional team is especially important because supportive co-workers and caring relationships facilitate the creation of resilience in nurses. To increase resilience, nurses should strengthen their abilities to confront fears, maintain an optimistic mood, and resolve problems. A positive atmosphere will promote a better understanding between members of the organization and have a positive impact on patient outcomes.
Evidence-Based Practice
There are several nursing actions that could contribute to evidence-based practice, such as gathering the best evidence and applying in practice. It is used with the help of the interprofessional team as the team members can educate nurses through sharing experiences and successful cases from their practice. It strengthens the professional culture of the organization because, in the process of sharing the information, co-workers establish respectful relationships with each other. Moreover, it helps to achieve better results in patients’ treatment.
In general, the function of the team that could be improved is the evidence-based practice. It would be productive to create a manual with the description of various practices that had a positive impact on patients’ outcomes in the past. Then, in case if similar situations happen in the future, workers will be able to use the manual and save the time that they usually spend for meetings with colleagues.
Summary
Therefore, iCARE components support interprofessional teams and patient outcomes through various nursing actions. These actions include a demonstration of efforts, aimed to know patients, protection of patients’ rights, improving the ability to function in stressful situations, and implementation of the best evidence-based practice. Performing the same actions, it is possible to influence the process of support for interprofessional teams in any area of expertise, including medical field.
References
Curtis, K. (2015). Compassion is an essential component of good nursing care and can be conveyed through smallest actions. Evidence-Based Nursing, 18(3), 95–104.
Davoodvand, S., Abbaszadeh, A., Ahmadi, F. (2016). Patient advocacy from the clinical nurses’ viewpoint: A qualitative study. Journal of Medical Ethics and history of Medicine, 9(5). Web.
Gonzalo, J. D., Himes, J., McGillen, B., Shifflet, V., & Lehman, E. (2016). Interprofessional collaborative care characteristics and the occurrence of bedside interprofessional rounds: A cross-sectional analysis. BMC Health Services Research, 16, 459.