To provide patients with personalized experiences and targeted outcomes, healthcare professionals often have to work together as a team. Nurses who pursue advanced degrees, such as the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree, are equipped with the practical, clinical and soft skills required to collaborate with healthcare professionals across all disciplines and specialty areas.
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What Is Interprofessional Collaboration?
Interprofessional collaboration in healthcare is defined by Johnson & Johnson as the practice of developing a patient’s individual healthcare treatment plan as a team. The healthcare team will generally consist of several types of practitioners from various disciplines, allowing the team to develop a comprehensive strategy for providing the patient with the best possible outcomes.
The Role of a DNP in Collaborative Healthcare Teams
Nurses who have earned a DNP degree can play an integral role in interdisciplinary care teams. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), the DNP program is designed to prepare nurses to become leaders in the healthcare field. Their ability to leverage the latest research findings and implement them in clinical settings allows them to play a vital role in interprofessional collaboration.
Benefits of Interprofessional Collaboration in Patient Care
There are many benefits of interprofessional collaboration in patient care to consider. Johnson & Johnson notes that interprofessional collaboration improves patient outcomes in a variety of ways, such as:
- Improving the precision of medication dosages.
- Decreasing mortality rates in the hospital setting.
- Lowering the number of emergency room visits in a facility.
- Reducing the risk of preventable errors and adverse outcomes in the clinical setting.
Key Healthcare Professionals in Interprofessional Collaboration
To implement interprofessional collaboration in a healthcare setting, the facility must have a sufficient supply of healthcare workers available. Healthcare teams should consist of a variety of healthcare professionals who have complementary expertise and relevant skills, ensuring that each individual patient receives the personalized care that they both need and deserve.
Some of the key healthcare professionals who work together as part of healthcare teams include:
Nurses and Nurse Practitioners
Nurses and nurse practitioners play a crucial role in interprofessional collaboration, particularly because they are the healthcare providers who typically work closest and most directly with patients. As such, they can offer a vital perspective and ensure that the patient’s individual needs are being met through their healthcare plan. Nurse and nurse practitioner collaboration ensures that the patient’s needs are considered within the context of their environment and that the resources available within a healthcare facility are properly coordinated to ensure the best possible outcomes.
Physicians and Physician Assistants
Physicians and physician assistants often provide insight into the scope of the diagnosis for the individual patient and recommendations for the next steps needed to achieve the best possible outcomes for the patient. They often focus more on long-term goals, while nurses can provide input on the resources and accommodations needed for the patient’s short-term goals.
Pharmacists and Medication Management Teams
By collaborating with other key members of the healthcare team, pharmacists and medication management teams can ensure that the patient receives the correct medication and the proper dosage for their individual needs. Pharmacists and medication management teams play a crucial role, ultimately reducing the risk of medication errors in the clinical setting.
Social Workers, Therapists and Case Managers
Social workers, therapists and case managers collaborate with healthcare providers and other members of the healthcare team to ensure that the patient’s social and emotional needs are met. They often work to connect patients with the valuable resources they need within the community to ensure that they have access to the complementary services required for the best possible outcomes.
Allied Health Professionals
Allied health professionals serving on a collaborative healthcare team may include dietitians, physical therapists, respiratory therapists, occupational therapists and more. The allied health professionals serving on a healthcare team may vary based on the individual needs of the patient, but these health professionals play a crucial role in ensuring that patients receive the additional care needed to allow them to recover fully and completely.
Challenges in Interprofessional Collaboration for DNPs
Nurses currently working in DNP leadership positions will recognize many benefits associated with interprofessional collaboration, but team-based care is not without its challenges.
These are some of the common challenges associated with interprofessional collaboration in healthcare:
Communication Barriers Among Healthcare Teams
Communication barriers are considered one of the top challenges associated with interprofessional collaboration. While various health professionals are working together to create a comprehensive treatment plan for patients, they may not be familiar with the communication strategies required to stay in contact and monitor progress.
Differences in Training, Terminology and Clinical Approaches
All health professionals serving on a care team will have differences in training, terminology and clinical approaches, which can make it challenging for the team to come together and create a cohesive strategy. By keeping an open mind and acknowledging that differing approaches can still be practical, nurses can overcome this common challenge and improve overall team dynamics.
Managing Conflict in Interdisciplinary Teams
Conflict is inevitable in interdisciplinary teams, particularly when every health professional is passionate about providing the patient with the best possible care. The DNP program equips nurses with the conflict resolution skills necessary to navigate these moments and come up with a viable plan that takes into account the needs of the patient as well as the perspectives of the entire healthcare team.
Time Constraints and Workflow Disruptions
Modern health professionals are busier than ever, and many are navigating higher patient volumes along with staffing shortages in their facilities. Time constraints and workflow disruptions can make it difficult for teams to work together. Still, by prioritizing the needs of the patient, most health providers can schedule time for interprofessional collaboration.
Technological Integration and Digital Communication Tools
Healthcare teams can and should leverage the power of technology to streamline workflow and improve communication. However, it can be difficult for professionals of varying levels of digital literacy to utilize the most advanced healthcare technology. DNP-prepared nurses are often intimately familiar with the leading healthcare technology, allowing them to use digital communication tools and improve outcomes among the care team.
Best Practices for Effective Collaboration as a DNP
DNP-prepared nurses are uniquely qualified to serve on an integrated healthcare team. Teamwork in nursing leads to improved patient outcomes, and DNP-prepared nurses can rely on the best practices for effective collaboration to get the best results.
Developing Leadership and Communication Skills
Leadership and communication skills are essential when participating in interprofessional collaboration. By learning more about the best healthcare communication strategies and leveraging the power of health information technology, DNP-prepared nurses can develop the soft skills required to collaborate across disciplines and specialty areas.
Implementing Evidence-Based Practice in Team-Based Care
Evidence-based care strategies are vital in today’s modern healthcare landscape. DNP-prepared nurses have an advanced understanding of interpreting and implementing the latest research findings into patient care plans.
Advocating for Policy and System-Level Changes
Throughout the collaboration process, DNP-prepared nurses can advocate for improved healthcare policies and system-level changes that will improve outcomes for the individual patient and the entire patient population in the community.
Enhancing Cultural Competency
Because nurses provide direct bedside care for their patients, they often better understand their patient’s environment, including their cultural background, religious preferences and social support systems. As a result, they can enhance overall cultural competency within the interprofessional healthcare team and provide the patients with the personalized care that they require.
Leveraging Technology for Improved Coordination
DNP-prepared nurses have had the opportunity to work with and train on the latest healthcare technology, allowing them to leverage the power of technology to improve care coordination across the healthcare team.
How DNP Programs Prepare Nurses for Interprofessional Collaboration
DNP programs uniquely prepare nurses for interprofessional collaboration by equipping them with the advanced skills required to work with healthcare professionals across a variety of disciplines. This program emphasizes advanced clinical skill development and allows nurses to learn how to leverage research findings to improve the delivery of care, patient outcomes and clinical systems management.
The DNP program prepares nurses for interprofessional collaboration through:
Curriculum Components That Support IPC Skills
The curriculum requirements of the DNP program support the development of interprofessional collaboration skills. Some of the courses that DNP students will be required to complete include Advocacy, Leadership and Ethics in Advanced Practice, Scientific Underpinnings in Evidence-Based Practice and Health Care Administration.
Simulation-Based Learning and Team-Based Training
Throughout the DNP program, nurses benefit from simulation-based learning and team-based training, both of which allow nurses to improve the practical skills required to work with patients and the soft skills required to participate in team-based patient care.
Clinical Experiences and Real-World Application
The clinical requirements of the DNP program allow nurses to apply their newly discovered advanced skill set in real-world settings. Through these supervised experiences, nurses can practice their skills and develop the confidence required to apply them in clinical settings in the future.
Research and Quality Improvement Initiatives
One of the hallmarks of the DNP program is that it emphasizes the importance of evaluating and analyzing research findings to apply them within evidence-based practice. As a result, DNP-prepared nurses can offer input and insight on quality improvement initiatives that can optimize workflow in the healthcare setting, improve the patient experience and provide better patient outcomes.
Hone the Skills Required for Interprofessional Collaboration in Nursing at Keiser University Graduate School
The benefits of interprofessional collaboration in nursing are virtually endless. Interprofessional collaboration in healthcare leads to an optimized workflow and improved patient outcomes, highlighting the power of healthcare professionals working together to resolve complex challenges.
At Keiser University Graduate School, we offer a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree program designed to equip forward-thinking nurses with the advanced skills required to collaborate across specialty areas and disciplines. With an emphasis on quality improvement in nursing, this degree program prepares students for advanced and specialized positions in nursing.
Contact a graduate admissions counselor today to learn more about our nursing graduate degree programs.
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