5.3 Interprofessional Collaborative Practice
Previous sections of this book discussed IPEC competencies required for effective interprofessional collaboration and methods for managing conflict. In addition to demonstrating these competencies, nurses also have many other responsibilities related to interprofessional collaborative practice. Nurses plan and participate in interdisciplinary care conferences; assign, delegate, and supervise nursing team members; educate clients and staff; act as client advocates; make client referrals; ensure continuity of care; and contribute to the evaluation of patient outcomes. These responsibilities of the nurse are further described in the following subsections.
Planning and Participating in Interdisciplinary Care Conferences
The nurse identifies clients who would benefit from interdisciplinary care conferences. Interdisciplinary care conferences are meetings where interprofessional team members professionally collaborate, share their expertise, and plan collaborative interventions to meet client needs. As the interprofessional team member likely to spend the most time at the client’s bedside, nurses are key members for advocating for client needs during interdisciplinary care conferences. The nurse utilizes effective communication techniques by expressing and advocating for client needs, listening attentively to suggestions of other team members, formulating a collaborative plan of care, and documenting it in the client’s nursing care plan.
Learning Exercise 5.3.1
Watch this video titled “IPC Case Scenario for Mr. Jones Part 1” (7:09) by Interprofessional Professionalism Collaborative illustrating an interdisciplinary care conference as a patient’s plan of care is designed and implemented.
Reflections(Interprofessional Professionalism Collaborative, 2019):
- As you watch the video, notice how the professionals from different health disciplines communicate and interact with each other to formulate the plan of care for a patient and how the care is continued through multidisciplinary involvement.
- Assess interprofessional collaborative practice of the health care team using the Interprofessional Professionalism Assessment Tool.
Educating Clients and Staff
Nurses provide patient education, train staff, and serve as a staff resource. For example, an RN serves as a resource to assistive personnel (AP) floating to their unit. The RN provides a general orientation of the unit, explains the pertinent needs of the clients as they pertain to the AP’s assigned tasks, and shares how the staff interact and communicate within the unit. The RN ensures the AP understands the orientation information, is competent in their assigned/delegated tasks, and utilizes the RN as a resource throughout the shift.
Acting As a Client Advocate
Nurses advocate for client needs with family members, interprofessional team members, health care administrators, and, in some cases, health insurance companies and policy makers. Nurses protect and d