Introduction
Working in groups is an essential and integral part of nurses’ jobs. Teamwork and collaboration are the primary requirements of the contemporary health care setting because various issues can be resolved faster due to joint decision-making and shared responsibility. Thus, it is necessary to determine the benefits such cooperation can bring. Successful nurse-physician collaborations have the potential to provide better assistance and to produce better patient outcomes. Therefore, it is possible to conclude that open communication is key to effective interaction, which in turn is the fundamental basis of fruitful and efficient work.
The Essence of Collaboration and Teamwork
A unified definition of cooperation is needed to ensure both nurses and physicians understand it the same way. According to Fewster-Thuente (2015), collaboration is a fundamental form of social interaction in which professionals operate jointly to achieve their objectives through teamwork and the establishment of a positive environment. At the same time, the author claims that “an inductively derived theory of the collaboration process as defined by nurses and physicians could not be found in the literature” (Fewster-Thuente, 2015, p. 356). Consequently, it is possible to develop the right approach only in practice, taking into account the characteristics of a particular team and the personal qualities of each employee.
Besides, existing collaboration gaps would be detected and addressed if all professionals viewed the process of cooperation in the same way. The comprehension of the necessity of joint collaboration will eliminate current communication barriers. As it is known, the primary goal of nursing care is to assist with all who need it. Therefore, if all specialists of a particular collective work jointly on reaching their mutual aim, it will help to achieve not only high work performance but also recognition by management and patients (Hood, 2014).
Methods of Improving Teamwork and Collaboration
The possibility of personal growth is often a necessary condition for the development of specialists’ skills. Nurses can become more independent and can exhibit greater autonomy when they have an opportunity to contact physicians in person. Such collaboration can contribute to their job satisfaction and better capacity. As Fewster-Thuente (2015) remarks, many specialists prefer face-to-face communication since it enables them to refine the aspects of care immediately and discuss all the crucial details. According to Valentine, Nembhard, and Edmondson (2015), the lack of productive teamwork inevitably leads to negative consequences that patients experience. That is why the joint performance of duties is so significant.
Nurses need to interact efficiently to improve the process of collaboration. As Hood (2104) claims, specialists should employ relevant communication techniques to achieve agreement. The avoidance of conflicts is an integral part of a successful work process, and the leadership of a particular medical institution should monitor it. The work of junior medical personnel should be connected with discipline, which, in turn, allows achieving high performance (Hood, 2014).
Conclusion
Open communication is undoubtedly key to a fruitful and successful interaction. Effective communication and collaboration among nurses and physicians are essential in effective patients to care. Nurses can be given greater autonomy in decision-making if the scope of their practice is expanded. Perhaps, it will be possible to achieve if junior medical personnel starts working together with physicians. Nurses should employ effective communication strategies and avoid conflicts. It may help make fewer mistakes and build an active and productive team of professionals who can overcome any difficulties.
References
Fewster-Thuente, L. (2015). Working together toward a common goal: A grounded theory of nurse-physician collaboration. MEDSURG Nursing, 24(5), 356-362.
Hood, L. J. (2014). Leddy & Pepper’s conceptual bases of professional nursing (8th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Valentine, M. A., Nembhard, I. M., & Edmondson, A. (2015). Measuring teamwork in health care settings: A review of survey instruments. Medical Care, 53(4), 16-30.