Running Head: INTERPROFESSIONAL COLLABORATION

Interprofessional Collaboration

Amber Morris

James Madison University

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Interprofessional collaboration, communication, and teamwork is essential to make any

unit function well, this is especially true in the healthcare field where you are relying on multiple

different teams to manage one patient's care. I chose to interview a Nurse Midwife at a local OB

GYN practice. I was a patient at this practice when I was pregnant with my daughter and was

always impressed with how well their office functioned as a team. I saw this nurse several times

throughout my pregnancy, and I have a great deal of respect for her knowledge and the time she

takes to make her patients feel cared for. She provided a great deal of insight during our

interview.

Sue Woodson has been working in healthcare for 41 years, many of those years as a

certified nurse midwife. She currently works at a very busy OB GYN practice. She provides

routine gynecological care, routine prenatal visits, as well as problem visits for all of the

practice’s patients. She collaborates with all the other members of the healthcare team to provide

the best care for her patients. Collaboration within the practice is a daily occurrence. Sue also

refers patients to outside facilities if their need is beyond what her practice can address. She had

this to say about interprofessional collaboration, “Interprofessional collaboration allows the

patient to benefit from each provider's expertise to acquire optimal comprehensive health care.

Moderate overlap in expertise is a benefit to the patient in that this can provide a safety net and

second opinions when necessary. Ideally providers will collaborate to minimize confusion in the

plan of care” (Woodson 2021). This practice benefits from many knowledgeable medical

professionals collaborating daily to seek out the best way to provide care to their patients.

I did not necessarily have any previous opinions that differed from what Sue told me

during the interview, but she did bring up some points that I hadn’t thought of. She explained

that she worked as a scrub tech during nursing school, therefore she knows the names of many
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surgical instruments that some other nurse midwives may not. She explained that this makes

communication more effective during procedures because she can quickly and effectively

communicate which item, she needs next. This goes to show that everyone’s past experiences

can help to provide smooth teamwork. Each member of the team brings different knowledge to

the table, and each can be a contributing member to the common goal of promoting health and

wellness in the patient.

Effective collaboration involves many different things. In nursing especially,

effective communication between everyone involved in the care of a patient is crucial.

Ineffective communication in some circumstances can result in devastating results.

Communication with your patient is just as important as communication with team

members. Listening is a major part of communication, and likely one of the hardest parts.

Our textbook states, “Too often we hear without listening” (Black 2020). There is a big

difference between hearing someone and listening to what they are saying. As a bedside

nurse I have many tasks that need to be completed when I enter a patient’s room and

others waiting for me to leave that room. I must intentionally tell myself to slow down

and listen to what my patient is telling me. Not only does this help me gain information,

but it shows my patient that I am there for them. I am engaged and giving them my full

attention. This makes them feel more comfortable with me and makes further

communication throughout the rest of the shift more effective.

Communication with other members of the healthcare team is crucial to patient

care as well. Especially now, in these pandemic times, healthcare workers are stressed,

burned out, and completely exhausted. All these factors can make effective

communication difficult. I found an article from earlier this year discussing how
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important it was to nurses to feel supported while working through this pandemic. “The

frequency of unit leadership presence was crucial in describing effective unit leadership

communication during the COVID-19 crisis” (Simonovich et al 2021). Seeing your nurse

manager and assistant nurse manager present on the unit on a regular basis makes nurses

feel more supported. This in turn leads to better communication throughout the team. To

me it shows that they are involved and there with you willing to help, rather than staying

in their office much of the time. It also makes nurses feel more comfortable going to the

unit leadership team with issues that may arise.

Communication between nurses working alongside each other is also

important. In a healthy work environment, you should feel comfortable asking your

fellow nurses questions without fear of being made to feel inferior. There may be times

where you feel like you’re running behind the entire shift, but no one is helping you. You

have to get comfortable communicating when you need help, you can’t just expect your

charge nurse or coworkers to notice and jump in. When communicating with anyone,

your attitude and body language make a big difference in how the interaction will likely

go. “Pay attention to your words and body language and don't forget that asking questions

will help make sure you say what you mean and hear what's meant” (Anders 2021).

During a difficult shift it is easy to get frustrated and that frustration can make

communication with coworkers difficult. While you may not be frustrated with them,

your body language or other unspoken queues may lead them to believe that you are.

Then they react to that, and communication begins to break down.

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In conclusion, effective communication is critical in the healthcare setting.

Open communication with our patients, coworkers, providers, and leadership will make

everyone’s experience better. Our patients will be better cared for, and the unit will

function better as a team. Remember to actively listen and ask questions to clarify when

you are unsure of the directions you have been given. Be receptive to feedback and don’t

shy away from respectfully giving feedback as well.

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References

Anders. (2021). Practical tips for effective communication. Nursing

Management, 52(6), 10–13. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NUMA.0000752812.54583.d6

Black. (2020). Professional Nursing Concepts & Challenges

Simonovich, Spurlark, R. S., Badowski, D., Krawczyk, S., Soco, C., Ponder, T.

N., Rhyner, D., Waid, R., Aquino, E., Lattner, C., Mueller Wiesemann, L., Webber‐

Ritchey, K., Li, S., & Tariman, J. D. (2021). Examining effective communication in

nursing practice during COVID‐19: A large‐scale qualitative study. International Nursing

Review. https://doi.org/10.1111/inr.12690
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