Medicine has become so specialized that a myriad of healthcare providers and facilities may be involved in a patient’s care. According to the American Medical Association, nearly 200 board-certified physician specialties are recognized in the United States. Due to the specification and proliferation of medical treatments and technology, it can take an army of medical professionals to successfully treat a single patient.
Today, a patient’s medical care team may include the primary care physician, one or more physician specialists, physician assistants, the supervising nurse, specialist nurses, shift nurses, practical nurses, health aides, a whole host of lab technicians, med techs, physical therapists, psychologists and social workers, pharmacists, equipment purveyors and on and on. Healthcare delivery can also be profoundly affected by federal and state regulations, insurance companies, hospital systems and the pharmaceutical industry. Without professional collaboration and expert coordination, conflicts, oversights, and redundancies can occur, sometimes placing the patient at risk, and at the very least wasting valuable medical resources.
Maximizing nurse-physician collaboration specifically, as well as collaboration within the entire medical team, improves patient care and leads to greater job satisfaction for medical professionals. Productive collaboration requires intentional sharing of knowledge and communal acceptance of responsibility. Collaboration often develops naturally between professionals of long association. However, the specialization of healthcare providers, the increasing volume of patients, and growing reliance on fast-paced electronic communication demand that today’s healthcare professionals strive to implement effective collaborative techniques immediately at every contact.
“Collaboration is multidimensional. It can occur in both face-to-face encounters and electronically via fast-paced interactions such as voice mail and email,” stated RNs Linda Lindeke and Ann Sieckert in Nurse-Physician Workplace Collaboration, published in the January 2005 edition of The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing. “In whatever place or form, collaboration involves an exchange of views and ideas that considers the perspectives of all the collaborators, whether or not agreement is reached in the interaction.”
Mutual respect, trust and tenacity are the qualities that Lindeke and Sieckert believe best define successful professional collaboration. Such qualities not only impact professional relationships, but carry over into patient care. Research conducted by the American Nurses Credentialing Center at 14 hospitals in 2003 showed a positive direct correlation between successful physician-nurse collaboration and the quality of patient care.
Collaborative professional relationships enhance job satisfaction for every member of the medical team. “Professionalism is strengthened when all members take credit for group successes,” emphasize Lindeke and Sieckert. When responsibility for patient well-being is shared and the contributions of each team member are recognized, a more supportive work environment is created. Collaborative environments promote safe communication, creative problem solving, respectful negotiation and positive conflict management. Individual recognition increases, negative behaviors decrease, and job satisfaction improves.
Collaboration is the essential ingredient in the development of an effective medical care team, but it requires intentional team-building efforts. To create a collaborative team environment, use these team-building strategies:
1. Arrive at common definitions for patient care and well-being. The knowledge of diverse disciplines must be melded into a universal language that allows the team to communicate effectively and work from common ground.
2. Negotiate responsibilities respectfully. Team members must define individual and group tasks. Expectations should be clearly defined. Operating within hierarchical structures and respect for the chain of command will achieve results more effectively and more quickly than bypassing authority for expediency.
3. Encourage healthy conflict, but do not let it destroy group cohesiveness. Healthy conflict promotes creative problem solving and allows for the consideration of diverse ideas, often resulting in multiple solutions. Focusing on facts rather than opinions can preserve group unity when ideas differ.
4. Discourage negative behavior. The negative behavior of a single individual can derail collaborative efforts. Avoid the blame game. Discourage unproductive dialogue. Defuse individual dominance with group consensus. Respectful, unemotional language and strong team leadership that values consensus can defuse negativity and foster a positive team environment.
5. Communicate effectively. Whether communicating face-to-face or electronically, respond promptly and be efficient in your communications. Leave out peripheral data, provide current information, and avoid unnecessary jargon. Stick to the facts; avoid emotionalizing issues. If you receive an unclear message, ask for clarification before responding. Always critique the message, not the sender. Strive to remain open-minded and respectful in communicating with other members of the team.
The following appeared in an issue of Maxim’s nursing eNewsletter, Nursing Now. To receive news in your e-mail inbox each month, sign up today.