Henneman, Lee, and Cohen (1995) define collaboration as a commitment of two or more individuals or organizations to the achievement of a common objective through the enhancement of each member’s capacity in the promotion and protection of health. The collaborative practice levels can include the community level, systems level, and the individual or family level. However, based on the aspect of collaborative practice, interprofessional collaboration makes it possible for the participants to achieve more when working together than when they are working individually (Green & Johnson, 2015). The researchers emphasize on the need for interprofessional collaboration in healthcare, based on the belief that the efforts are likely to yield better health outcomes and care services for the patient population. In this regard, the improved skills mix, the provision of holistic services, the inclusion of innovative and creative, and the heightened level of responsiveness to the patient needs assures patients of their safety, consequently leading to high-quality nursing outcomes.
Under the North Carolina Nurse Practice Act, which is the Collaborative Practice Agreement that outlines the manner in which a Nurse Practitioner will practice together with the primary supervising physician. Depending on the area of the certification of a nurse, their collaborative effort with the supervising physician will enhance the review of care, which is essential for planning for the evaluation of the quality of care. This process enhances the predictability of high-quality nursing outcomes. On the other hand, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) advocates for collaborative relationships between healthcare practitioners since it assists in the promotion of decision-making among the nurses (Schadewaldt, McInnes, Hiller & Gardner, 2013). The collaborative relationship focuses on the inclusion of the different perspectives of the healthcare providers, including the patient, which enhances the delivery of better care. In this light, the IOM considers quality care as more than a metric but a means for the patients to live longer and lead better lives.
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One of the barriers to the realization of collaborative practice that new nurses might experience includes the lack of a clear understanding of the unique contributions of other members in the interprofessional team (Green & Johnson, 2015). It would be difficult for new nurses to understand the areas of high achievement of other members, their limitations, and their educational backgrounds, which is a provision that might hinder the achievement of successful collaborative endeavors (Schadewaldt, McInnes, Hiller & Gardner, 2013). On the other hand, this barrier might lead to the rise in conflict regarding the relationships that the nurses have with the patients. New nurses might also have not received training in interprofessional collaboration. This gap means that they would not have the knowledge of their roles in the team, which is a provision that might make it difficult for them to engage the community. On the other hand, individual attitudes could also influence a nurses’ reluctance to accept different suggestions from team members that represent individuals in other professions.
It would be essential for new nurses to learn about other professions. This initiative is essential for ensuring that they take the initial step in collaboration. A considerable number of professionals could be considered ignorant of other professions since they might have not been introduced to the aspect of collaboration in their educational journey. In the course of their training, it would be essential for professionals to break the tradition of being solely socialized in their professions and engage with individuals in other healthcare professions to understand their perceptions and roles in a collaborative team. The engagement is likely to ensure that they understand the unique contributions brought forth by other members in a collaborative team (Schadewaldt, McInnes, Hiller & Gardner, 2013). On the other hand, to break the barrier related to the lack of knowledge of the roles of new nurses in a collaborative team, it would be vital to ensure that they receive the appropriate training to ensure that they provide safe and high-quality care.
References
Green, B. N. & Johnson, C. D. (2015). Interprofessional collaboration in research, education, and clinical practice: Working together for a better future. The Journal of Chiropractic Education, 29 (1), 1-10.
Henneman, E. A., Lee, J. L., & Cohen, J. L. (1995). Collaboration: A Concept Analysis. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 21 (1), 103-109.
Schadewaldt, V., McInnes, E., Hiller, J., & Gardner, A. (2013). Views and experiences of nurse practitioners and medical practitioners with collaborative practice in primary health care – an integrative review. BMC Family Practice , 14 (1). http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2296-14-132
