Interprofessionalism in Nursing - Essay Example

The key enabling traits have been identified the ways (Buttell, Hendler, & Daley, 2007, PP. 64-66)which explores elements that are connected with inter-professional relationships that are prevalent in nursing professing. The current model in the nursing field is to design a challenging curriculum, develop courses, teaching and guiding learners, clinical trials, and finally evaluating along with documenting the outcomes. However, research indicates that a working inter-professional relationship is vital towards harnessing the growth in the healthcare industry. Without a doubt, the healthcare industry is a crucial field that relies heavily in collaboration that harnesses interpersonal relationships. It is evident that interactions that occur on every day basis must understand the complexities that are associated not only dealing with their colleagues but patients also. Clearly, new initiatives must be taken to understand the gravity of dealing with patients and explores other ideas that can facilitate patient’s recovery and perception about their health. A model that should be developed for nursing students should be simple in order to facilitate the process. It should consist of peer collaboration, discussion, research and testing along with shadowing a medical professional. These steps are vital because they solidify the foundation of core competencies along with remedying deficiencies. Education in health begins with the young generations being more involved in mentoring rather than filling in the blanks of a test. This theory is supported by many scholars as more effective as it enables students to gain a better understanding of the overall approach that occurs. The issue of quality in providing these services is just not a mere innovative concept but should be embedded on every medical facility. This methodology itself serves to define and embody the whole depiction of the hospital. In medicine, quality has become a crucial aspect is at enhances the outcomes that are appealing for any individual (Buttell, Hendler, & Daley, 2007, p. 63). Quality is an element that must be prevalent not through lip service but through actions and should be a testament through patient care. The traditional approach that is embedded in delivering customer relations through doctors is under heavy scrutiny. Conducive research proves that social workers, midwives and nurses tend to excel on interpersonal skills while doctors must strive to make a better effort. In a hospital setting, it is clear that Doctors are perceived to have strong leadership along with collaboration skills that makes them highly competent at their profession (Buttell, Hendler, & Daley, 2007, PP. 64-66). Thus, many authors suggest that the difference of knowledge and expertise that doctors possess from their colleagues create a formulation of diverse opinions that are prevalent in their actions. Since each individual has their own set of responsibilities, they also tend to have different notions on how to approach different problems (Buttell, Hendler, & Daley, 2007, p. 65). Since quality tends to be the prevailing matter in all institutions, various elements have been examined to understand this critical issue. First and foremost element that is associated with healthcare is hygiene, Hygiene safety is a crucial element that all doctors practice due to the fact that it dynamically can impact patient’s heath. In many scenarios, it is evident that the patients is injured even though the doctors possess no ill intentions. One can argue that these medical errors are because of medical errors that contribute to this cause in their respective facilities (Buttell, Hendler, & Daley, 2007, pp. 64). Although hygiene safety can be learned through methodology, it is crucial that they acquired safety skills through experience. Applying an ointment or not wrapping the bandage in a precise manner can lead to neglect which in long-run can be detrimental to patient’s health. It is clear that in order for quality to be prevalent in any given facility, doctors should cultivate a safe environment in order to accommodate their patients. The second element that determines quality is experience that is gathered throughout the nursing career. The current reflective model has several aims for the young nurses to be successful.  The current model aims to meet the aspirations of the modern medical healthcare services by increasing the recruitment of nurses. One of the most critical components for these young medical professional is to put them in an environment in which they can enhance their skill base and competences with the hospital’s development progress. More focus is emphasized on training while increasing the staff morale in midst of adversities. Furthermore, the goal was to escalate the interpersonal communications of these students in order for them to communicate with their patients. It is evident that patients and the hospitals want to have this symbiotic relationship in which habits of trust and confidentiality are solidified. The second key element towards achieving excellent quality is embedding a mentorship program for the new medical professionals. In fact, In order to perform the mentorship role effectively and fulfill their obligations, mentors should acquire some traits that are essential to define their role. These attributes consist of: friendliness, good sense of humor, patience, solid interpersonal skills, approachability and professional development abilities (Morton-Cooper&Palmer 2005). Although these characteristics are incorporated in individual’s personality, staff teaching and mental preparation plays a vital role in establishing relationships between tutor and student. In order to critically evaluate these qualities, mentor can facilitate the needs of a student. It is clear that the natures of these attributes are a testament towards cultivating a solid learning environment. Hence, mentorship in nursing has become a clear component that contributes to quality. The third element that is the third core component in quality is acquiring knowledge through education and experience. It is clear that medical officials must understand the gravity of acquiring knowledge because it can mean the vast difference between life and death. If a nurse or a doctor is not fully aware of some prescription, then the necessary protocol is for the doctors to refrain from prescribing a medication that they are not fully aware off. If a patient clearly is not deriving any benefits from this medication, the results can be deadly. In a healthcare environment, facilitating patients through thorough examination should be conducted instead of “guessing” the diagnosis (Omachonu & Einspruch, 2010, p. 15). Lastly, it is crucial that quality revolves around the patient’s needs and that services should be directed to accommodate the needs of the patients. One cannot argue that the healthcare quality that each institution reflects the personality of the facility itself. Providing service in a timely manner is vital towards addressing the needs of the patients (Lighter & Fair, 2004, P. 27).  This is highly reflective in a facility in which physical therapy is the focal point by understanding injuries and drawing perfect remedies to combat their ailments. The last element that contributes towards quality service is consistency in healthcare practices. Although demographics plays a crucial role in diagnosing ailment as each patient is special has their own unique characteristics that define their condition, the essence of quality should not be compromised. The problem that arises from this idea is the fact that many hosptials tend to discriminate their patients based on insurance premiums. As a result, the less fortunate tend to struggle for healthcare quality service that they deserve (Legido-Quigley, Mckee, & Nolte, 2008, p. 9).  All these elements combine to create a strong inter-professional relationship that must be prevalent in each facility. Doctors must continue to embed the crucial value of quality by enhancing their interpersonal relationship skills. Thus, reflective practice becomes an essential component for healthcare professionals. Since reflective practice is associated through learning from previous experience, it is crucial towards the development of the younger generation of students. Without a doubt, the medical field continues to evolve at such a rapid pace that continuous medical knowledge is required. Certainly, the constant evolvement of healthcare and the continual growth of medical knowledge has sparked a high level of demand on healthcare professionals' expertise. These collaboration skills are acquired through continuing medical education must understand the complexity of each situation and obliterate the notion of a perception that doctors are independent practitioners. This collaboration can only be acquired through providing flexible services, education and confidence. Hence, interpersonal relationship skills influences medical professionals to work together by embedding professional training in order to enhance the element of quality. It is evident that patients and the hospitals want to have this symbiotic relationship in which habits of trust and confidentiality are solidified. This can be brilliantly depicted through the code of conduct that is formulated by Nursing and Midwifery Council. This particular organization is responsible for ensuring that doctors and nurse comply to professionalism and justification of decisions that are made. In essence, it puts the burden of responsibility and obligations on the shoulders of medical professionals. In addition, it obliges doctors to act morally, uphold HIPAA laws, gain consent and maintain medical knowledge on daily basis (NMC, 2011). The benefits that can be derived from collaboration and inter-professional skills are endless. The first key benefit that can doctors can derive from continuing professional studies is to maintain a consistent level of gaining knowledge through collaboration. Conclusive studies show that doctors that continue to harness growth by collaboration with their colleagues genuinely solidify their knowledge base. Moreover, they are consistent in diagnosing their patients and understand their cases at a deeper level. Furthermore, they are able to understand the disparities of conditions that exist and are able to convey their solution from macro to micro level (Buttell, Hendler, & Daley, 2007, p. 68). As mentioned above, the idea of collaboration and teamwork should never be taken lightly. All the authors insist that pooling resources creates an aura of cultivating experience and understanding roles that are assigned to each official. Moreover, it gives doctors the understanding of their colleagues’ strengths and weaknesses which can be a critical factor in prognosis (Hewison, 2004, pp. 139-142). Clearly, the transition from methodology to practice is critical in order to narrow theory-practice gap. The theory-practice gap has been one of the most controversial issues of debate as the gap has been a critical component that has hindered development within students. In order to narrow the theory-practice gap, students must be in constantly engaged in “hands-on training.” Education and experience must be accompanied by researching and constant exposure of patients. For nursing, the point of theory is that it must have application in practical situations. This reflects the fact that nurses must be well-experienced in order to even begin unsupervised surgery. In this particular situation, Gillian Erickson, a 47-year-old operating room nurse at Clatterbridge Hospital, said she has been training hard to excel in procedures to remove lumps from the hand after she received special education under her mentor. Clearly, the wide range of knowledge that exists between professional serves also as a catalyst towards creativity that allows healthcare practitioners to find innovative ways to remedy ailments. In a healthcare environment, the perceptions of each individual about the quality of service itself maybe detrimental and can serve as a barrier. Hence, it is crucial to dissolve that barrier through modifying the attitudes of a professional. This is achieved through implementing a solid perception of their profession and boosting self-confidence and moral through daily healthy rituals. Studies confirm that individuals who lack self-esteem are doomed to fail in the healthcare environment because of their innate ability to not perform in tense situations. A qualitative study that was conducted clearly establishes the legal parameters of recruiting nurses with different personalities. The reputation of nurses continues to be a pivotal point for many medical professionals. depicts the goals of medical institutions. Medical professionals have to credible, reliable, responsible, and trustworthy all being able to juggle different facets of a student life. As a result, this could literally enforce a negative stigma in their self-image (Day, 2006, p. 131-132). These stigmas unfortunately also tend to pave their way through the media, which over exaggerates the conditions of the general public in the demeaning way. This again can be negative because it does now allow medical professional to truly collaborate because of the negative stereotype that plagues their reputation. Through strong collaboration, doctors can obliterate the negative stereotypes, share information, harness new experience, expand and reach new horizons that can be crucial in their professional development Coombs & Ersser, 2004, pp. 260). Another huge barrier that deters from individuals to collaborate in an effective manner is truly rivalry and competition. Undoubtedly, the medical field is filled with competition that dictates hierarchy in a hospital setting. These situations can also become very hostile which can truly dilute the true notion of doctors. Fierce competition has plagued the field because each individual will sometimes let their ego become a bias towards diagnosing a problem. Due to this rivalry, patients suffer as they are treated with neglect because some medical officials do not possess the adequate knowledge to combat special type of diseases (Coombs & Ersser, 2004, pp. 248-251). A third element that serves as a huge obstacle towards developing strong foundation of interpersonal relationship is poor communication that continues to be the prevailing factor. It is clear that each medical professional is nurtured through different demographics and has formulated their own “lingo.” Often times, egoism becomes a dominant factor as other professionals will speak in medical terminology that is almost unknown to their inferior colleagues. This poses as a huge risk because it downgrades other professionals and detach themselves from conversation that can truly account to enhance their medical knowledge. As an individual that has served as an intern at the local hospital, I have truly realized that the core dynamic of collaboration has dictated the mission statement of the facility itself. I had a wonderful opportunity to meet the Board of Directors, who scheduled weekly meetings to share information that can be vital for all. Hence, all medical professionals, especially the specialists at the cardiology department act as mediators to ensure that patients get the best treatment possible. Without a doubt, the health practitioners acknowledged that communication was the most fundamental root towards providing excellent health care quality. Egoism was obliterated as many doctors would often refer to their patients to their colleagues who were experts at that particular subject matter. After a patient was diagnosed, doctors would encourage nurses to understand the complications of a patient, which created an aura of knowledge source that only few were fortunate to be exposed with. Throughout my internship, only one incident occurred that become the embodiment towards not communicating properly. In one instance, the doctor prescribed a dosage which was mildly too high. However, the nurse misread the dosage and gave the patient a dosage that was inadequate, which induced the patient to go in a cardiac arrest. This event undoubtedly became a testament for both doctors and nurses who understood collaboration as the key root towards providing healthcare service at its finest. It also foreshadowed the ugly ramifications that can occur if one neglects the true dosage of a prescription. Without a doubt, through collaboration, education, experience and creating a positive self-image at a healthcare facility can truly enhance healthcare. Moreover, these elements can also dissolve the barriers that deter from achieving inter-professional skills. The negative perceptions and attitudes are only barriers that will deter the young generation from reaching their potential. Therefore, offering excellent quality in healthcare and aligning perceptions of professionals must be achieved through working together that becomes the focal point of mutual symbiosis. Works Cited Buttell, P., Hendler, R., & Daley, J. (2007, August 9). Quality in Healthcare: Concepts and Practice. Retrieved November 29, 2011, from Healthcare collaborations: http://healthcarecollaboration.typepad.com/healthcare_collaboration_/files/quality_buttell.pdf  Coombs, M., & Ersser, S. J. (2004). Medical hegemony in decision-making – a barrier to interdisciplinary working in intensive care? Journal of Advance Nursing, 46(3): 245-252.  Coye, M. J. (2001). " No Toyotas in Healthcare: Why Medical Care Has Not Evolved to Meet Patients' Needs. Health Affairs, 20(6): 44-56.  Day, J. (2006). Interprofessional working . Cheltenham: Nelson Thomes.  Fletcher, K. (2007). Image; changing how women nurses think about themselves. Literature Review. 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