Question

it is essential for professional nurses to be skilled in collaborating with professionals from other healthcare disciplines to plan the best patient care. What collaboration strategies can professional nurses use to specifically promote collaboration with other healthcare disciplines and professionals?

Answer 1

Collaboration

The act of collaborating ( to work together with others to achieve a common goal) is called collaboration.

Collaboration strategies for promoting collaboration with other health care disciplines and professionals;

Collaboration between health care team members is a very essential requirement for effective patient care. Team collaboration and effective communication between doctors, nurses, dieticians, technicians etc are one of the main prerequisite for successful treatment. But there are many obstacles that come across the way of COLLABORATION.

Collaboration strategies for promoting collaboration with other health care disciplines and professionals:

* Understanding self ( self awareness)

Self awareness is a powerful tool in developing effective communication and interpersonal skills. A nurse has to have the awareness regarding her own strength, weaknesses, ability, powerlessness etc.

* Respect and value other discipline

Each health care disciplines and professionals has there own part in health care or patient care.

* Effective listening and constructive responding in case of disagreements, it will create a conducive environment for conflict resolution

* Share information, hear information

No-one like to to be yelled at, or scolded, when they express an opinion or ask a question. In that case the employees start to become passive and silent. It will affect patient care as a team. Give space or opportunity to share information for the other team members.

* Conflict resolution

A nurse has to handle the conflict with care. Better to handle conflicts professionally than avoiding an argument regarding a conflict.

* Effective communication

It is a challenge to communicate with other discipline professionals than our same professional people. Because each health care discipline approach patient differently and the information they seek also may be different. Try to speak in their language ( speak by their perspective), when communicating with other discipline professionals.

*Skills in leadership, organizational skills

Every nurse is a leader. Her expertise, guidance, clinical competence, assertiveness, self confidence and organizational skills are needed for effective collaboration .

* Shared decision making through multidisciplinary forums

Interdisciplinary team meetings can be conducted to share information, make shared decision. This forums can promote interdesciplnary collaboration .