Collaborative care for mental health: a qualitative study of the experiences of patients

and health professionals

Journal Reading Assignment

College of Health Sciences Education

University of Mindanao

Davao City

Submitted to:

Mary Ann B. Guyot, RN

NCM112/Lecture

Submitted by:

Karyl Eunice B. Ajos

BSN-3 CODE 4065

2022
 The Importance of Teamwork and
Collaboration in Nursing

Patient care is the top priority in nursing. For patients to receive the best health care possible,
nurses must communicate with relevant professionals about their patients’ treatment plan
while also understanding the role of each assigned team member. In essence, nurses serve as
a bridge between doctors, patients, and the hospital. Teamwork and collaboration are critical
to this role.

Even the World Health Organization (WHO), in its Multi-professional Patient Safety
Curriculum Guide, acknowledges that “effective teamwork in health care delivery can have
an immediate and positive impact on patient safety.” Noting that patients in modern-day
health care rarely see just one medical professional, WHO adds that teamwork and
coordination help minimize the occurrence of adverse events caused by errors in both
communication and an understanding of defined professional roles.

A Blueprint for Success in Teamwork and

Collaboration
There is an important but subtle difference between teamwork and collaboration in nursing,
and both are essential to ensure patient safety and care. Collaboration refers to joint efforts
between various independent teams or groups. For example, if a pregnant patient shows signs
of a heart issue, a cardiac surgery team will be called to work together with those in the
maternity ward. Teamwork refers to the efforts within one team to produce the highest
quality and most efficient results. Whether in a small, focused health care organization or a
large hospital with many departments, both teamwork and collaboration are central to health
care.
To provide patients with the best care, nurses in leadership roles should maintain the
following teamwork and collaborative principles:

Establish Team Goals

Examples of common health care goals can include improving patient care, shortening
response times, and decreasing waste. Setting a team goal provides every team member a
focused objective to work toward, which helps create team unity and provides space for
feedback. Without setting common goals, individuals on a team may have different outcomes
in mind, which can only serve to hinder progress. For example, if the goal is to reduce patient
wait times, but each individual pursues a different method without speaking to their team, the
likely outcome is confusion around the patient intake process. As a result, wait times may
actually increase.

Assign Roles Within a Team

Nurses interact with a large number of health care professionals, both within their own team
and across departments. It is crucial then, to have an understanding of key roles within
individual teams to achieve greater collaboration. If clear roles are not assigned, team
members may duplicate efforts in some areas while leaving gaps in others. This not only
wastes time but could cause patient harm. The publication Working Nurse notes that the most
effective collaboration is interdisciplinary — where each individual brings their area of
expertise to the team to provide the best possible care. Each member must understand their
role and expectations to achieve the team goal.

Allow for Open Communication

Because nurses interact with many people, from patients to practitioners, they must develop
keen listening skills. Those working alongside nurses may have their individual feedback,
suggestions, or questions; making active listening an important aspect of team operations. A
report by Wolters Kluwer, the professional solutions provider, notes that breakdowns in
health care communication can happen for various reasons: when team members are
transferred to another department, during shift changes, through poor transfer of information,
or when the patient changes nurses. On the other hand, team members whose input and
successes are verbally acknowledged to the greater team are more likely to contribute their
ideas, which builds team cohesion and efficiency.

Promote Mutual Respect

Mutual respect is critical in health care settings, not just within the team but across
collaborative departments. Team members who are not feeling respected can become
defensive, foster hidden agendas, demonstrate a lack of engagement, and worse. Building
mutual respect comes through a common, focused goal; an understanding that each
individual’s work is valuable and an acknowledgment of the efforts of others.

Handle Conflict Proactively

Effective teamwork and collaboration in nursing exist with the understanding that some
conflict is inevitable. By allowing for open communication and listening to team members’
concerns, nurses can encourage productive conflict resolution in its early stages. Nursing
2019 notes that while there are several approaches to handling conflict — such as
competition, accommodation, and compromise — collaboration is most effective. When all
parties approach conflict by focusing on the end goal, maintaining respect, and listening
openly, most issues can be resolved effectively.

Be an Effective Leader
The field of health care is filled with leaders, and nursing is no exception. Specialized nurse
practitioners frequently assume leadership roles, taking charge of teamwork and collaborative
efforts. The best leaders can adapt to different circumstances based on the team, patient care
goals, and the needs of the health care organization. Quality leaders must be flexible while
helping their team members and other departments in an open and respectful manner.
Summary
In order to provide patients with safe and effective care, interdisciplinary
communication and teamwork are essential. According to Pritts and Hiller, interprofessional
collaboration is "essential for positive patient outcomes". The American Nurses Association
and Institute of Medicine actively support the creation of structures and modifications to
current procedures that will foster interprofessional teamwork, shared decision-making, and
collaborative partnerships. An effective way to improve interdisciplinary communication is
through interprofessional care team rounding. Interprofessional rounding is a daily or
weekly patient care rounding procedure with an emphasis on enhancing safety and the
patient's care plan. All members of the patient's care team, including nurses, doctors, nurse
practitioners, pharmacists, social workers, and discharge planning nurses, participate in
interprofessional rounds. Teamwork and cooperation in nursing have a distinct but small
difference, and both are crucial to ensuring patient care and safety. Collaboration refers to
joint efforts between various independent teams or groups. For instance, if a pregnant
patient experiences heart-related symptoms, a team from the maternity ward and cardiac
surgery will collaborate. When a group of people works together, they achieve the best and
most effective results possible. Teamwork and collaboration are essential to the healthcare
industry, whether it's in a small, specialized healthcare firm or a huge hospital with
numerous departments.

Reaction
Patient care is our top priority. In order to provide patients with the finest care
possible, we must consult with the appropriate professionals about our patients' treatment
plans and comprehend the responsibilities of each member of the assigned team. We
essentially serve as a bridge between of the hospital, the doctors, and the patients.
Therefore, cooperation and teamwork are essential for this position. We communicate with
a lot of healthcare professionals, both within and outside of our teams. To establish
improved collaboration, it is essential to identify the fundamental functions within each
team. Team members may duplicate efforts in some areas while leaving gaps in others if
clear roles are not assigned. This not only wastes time but could cause patient harm. This
article notes that the most effective collaboration is interdisciplinary — where each
individual brings their area of expertise to the team to provide the best possible care. To
reach the team goal, each member must be aware of their responsibilities and goals.

Reference:
Regis College. (2022). The Importance of Teamwork and Collaboration in Nursing. Wellesley
Street: Weston MA. Retrieved from [Link]
degrees/online-master-science-nursing/resources/the-importance-of-teamwork-and-
collaboration-in-nursing/