The Importance of a Holistic Approach to Health and Wellness

The need for a holistic approach to care remains a fundamental goal in many facilities. As such, different professional disciplines come together in a team to leverage patient care and further provide appropriate care that meets their diverse needs. Research has shown that interprofessional teams in the care facilities are associated with improved patient outcomes (Busari, Moll, & Duits, 2017). In the last few years, I have found myself working in an interprofessional team especially when taking my practicums. While in the acute ward, I encountered a patient who had just undergone surgery and she complained of significant pain in her lower abdomen despite the physician emphasizing that it would end after three days. According to the patient, she needed some strong analgesics that would at least relieve her. As a nurse student working in an interprofessional team, I felt it was my duty to address the issue with the surgeon. However, I thought that this would sound as insubordination. More so, I did not want to appear like I was questioning his work. But in an ideal situation, I should have spoken for the patient. 

Brain Manley discusses a situation involving a patient marked non-compliant. The hospital was going against the required procedures and standards of dealing with patients, which required ample time to build a relationship. In an attempt to foster the required standards, Manley was brushed off and compelled to comply with the status quo where little time was accorded to the patient. Mayda Bravo Gil, on his part, had come up with evidence-based research that would have helped reduce the rates of hospital readmissions. However, he ended up not sharing his views or even proposing them to the relevant authorities. He also decries a situation where the physicians made decisions without involving the interprofessional teams with immense failure. 

Reference 

Busari, J. O., Moll, F. M., & Duits, A. J. (2017). Understanding the impact of interprofessional collaboration on the quality of care: a case report from a small-scale resource-limited health care environment. Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare, 10, 227.