Module Components

• Overview
• Assignments

NURS 450 - RN to BSN Transition: Implications for Practice, Policy and the Profession

Module 11: Interprofessional Teams

Overview

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2021) explains that professional registered nurses have the capacity to directly transform the patient’s health experience. As care is complex and organized across multiple settings, working within interprofessional teams is critical. Teams within the health care environments are composed of nurses, physicians, social workers, clergy, pharmacist, and other healthcare professionals. As such, it is important that all team members clearly, respectfully, and effectively communicate with one another to build strong work relationships, share resources and solve problems.

Applying the Interprofessional Collaborative Practice (IPEC) competencies enables the nurse to optimize care, enhance the healthcare experience for the patient, and strengthen patient outcomes. Research studies demonstrate that collaborative interprofessional practice has a positive impact on patient care, for example improved functional status in stroke patients, improved adherence to recommended practice by healthcare professionals, and improved use of healthcare resources (Reeves et al., 2017). Moreover, improved population health, increased patient satisfaction, and reduced cost of care are attained as well (Lutfiyya et al., 2019). Complementing the IPE competencies are the Quality Safety Education Nursing (QSEN) competencies, which explain that the professional registered nurses “function effectively within nursing and inter-professional teams, fostering open communication, mutual respect, and shared decision-making to achieve quality patient care” (QSEN, 2020). Finally, you remember that the Institute of Medicine (2003), called for all health care professionals to possess five core competencies to include workingin interdisciplinary teams: “cooperate, collaborate, communicate, and integrate care in teams to ensure that care is continuous and reliable” (p. 17).

This module introduces the Interprofessional Collaborative Practice competencies (2016) and explains the relationship between communication, collaboration, and coordination as related to effective interprofessional team performance. The principles of team dynamics are discussed with a link to function and dysfunctional behaviors.

Objectives

At the conclusion of this module, the learner will be able to:

• Promote collaboration by clarifying responsibilities among individual, family, and team members.
  
• Communicate in a manner that facilitates a partnership approach to quality care delivery.
  
• Perform effectively in different team roles, using principles and values of team dynamics.

Required Readings

Interprofessional Education Collaborative. (2016). Core competencies for interprofessional collaborative practice: 2016 update. https://ipec.memberclicks.net/assets/2016-Update.pdf

View all IPEC Core Competencies videos: https://healthipe.utexas.edu/video

• Each video illustrates one of the 4 IPEC competencies:
  • Values/Ethics (17:23 minutes)
  • Roles/Responsibilities (25:58 minutes)
  • Interprofessional Communication (18:09 minutes)
  • Teams and Teamwork (16:58 minutes)

Buschman, M. (2020, July 17). Dealing with dysfunctional teams: How to address underlying issues.  https://trainingindustry.com/articles/performance-management/dealing-with-dysfunctional-teams-how-to-address-underlying-issues/

American Nurses Association. (2021). Nursing scope and standards of practice. (4th ed.). Author.
• Standards of Professional Nursing Practice, Standard 11, Collaboration