ANSWER
Nursing Teamwork: An Interdisciplinary Team’s Clinical Experience
Overview
I’ve had the chance to collaborate closely with doctors (MDs) and psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners (PMHNPs) in interdisciplinary teams as a registered nurse (RN). In order to provide comprehensive, patient-centered care, collaborative teamwork is crucial, particularly in complex cases that call for the knowledge and experience of multiple healthcare experts. This event emphasizes how important mutual respect, communication, and common objectives are to getting good patient outcomes.
The Multidisciplinary Group
I was a member of an interdisciplinary team for this specific clinical interaction, which included:
As a registered nurse (RN), I gave direct patient care, gave prescriptions, and kept an eye on the patient’s emotional and physical health.
Medical Doctor (MD): The doctor was in charge of the patient’s total medical care, which included assessing physical health issues and writing prescriptions.
A Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) evaluated the patient’s mental state, offered psychotherapy, and, if required, wrote prescriptions for psychiatric drugs.
Case of the Patient
A 45-year-old man with a major depressive disorder (MDD) and an alcohol use disorder was the patient. He was admitted to the medical-surgical unit due to liver cirrhosis issues. He was physically stable when he was admitted, but he showed symptoms of severe depression, such as a depressed mood, disinterest in his surroundings, and bleak thoughts. Since alcohol consumption had exacerbated his liver and mental health conditions, it posed a serious obstacle to his recovery.
The MD, PMHNP, and I had to work together because of the complexity of his condition. While the PMHNP attended to his mental health needs and the MD managed his physical health and liver illness, I gave direct nursing care, which included making sure he took his medications as prescribed and offering emotional support.
Why Cooperation Was Required
In this instance, cooperation was essential for a number of reasons:
Comprehensive Care: Due to the patient’s condition, both medical and mental interventions were necessary. The PMHNP’s ability to treat the psychological impacts of depression and alcohol use disorder, as well as the MD’s proficiency in controlling his liver condition, were both crucial.
medicines Management: The patient required medicines for both his alcohol use disorder and depression, but they had to be carefully synchronized to prevent drug interactions with his liver condition.
Holistic Patient Support: By working together, we were able to provide more thorough care by addressing both his physical and underlying psychological problems. We were able to quickly modify treatment plans in response to his therapeutic response because of our regular communication.
The Value of Teamwork
In patient care, teamwork is crucial for a number of reasons:
Better Patient Outcomes: A more comprehensive approach to care can be given when medical practitioners from various specialties collaborate. We were able to better meet the patient’s complicated needs by combining our resources and expertise.
Quicker Choice-Making: The MD, PMHNP, and I were able to make decisions on therapy modifications more quickly since we had regular conversations, especially when the patient’s condition changed.
All-encompassing Problem Solving: Diverse viewpoints from team members improve problem-solving skills. For instance, the MD’s knowledge in treating liver illness made sure we were giving safe and efficient therapies, while the PMHNP’s advice on treating the patient’s depression and alcoholism was crucial.
Knowledge Acquired
This experience taught me numerous valuable lessons:
The importance of communication: To guarantee that every facet of the patient’s care is covered, team members must communicate clearly and honestly with one another. We discussed the patient’s progress and any necessary changes to his care plan during our daily team meetings.
The Roles’ Interdependence: I became aware of how much I depend on the knowledge of the MD and PMHNP as an RN. We were able to give the patient the finest care possible by respecting our individual roles and having faith in each other’s expertise.
Patient-focused treatment: I became more conscious of the significance of treating the patient as a whole—addressing both physical and mental health issues—after working with the team. It strengthened my comprehension that collaboration in the medical field fosters a positive work atmosphere in addition to bettering patient outcomes.
In conclusion
The value of teamwork in delivering comprehensive patient care was highlighted by this clinical experience with an interdisciplinary team of MDs, PMHNPs, and RNs. We were able to meet the complex needs of a patient who had both physical and mental health concerns by using clear communication and collaborative decision-making. A more comprehensive and effective treatment plan was the result of this cooperative approach, which also enhanced patient well-being and deepened understanding of the critical role cooperation plays in nursing practice.
QUESTION
Teamwork in nursing has these characteristics: good communication, respect for one another, shared planning, common goals, cooperation, coordination, sharing of expertise, and shared decision-making.
- Discuss a clinical experience as a current registered nurse where you were part of the interdisciplinary team of MD, & PMHNP. List the members of the interdisciplinary team of which you were a participant.
- What was the patient case about and why was the collaboration necessary?
- Why is team collaboration important in care of a patient?
- What did you learn from this encounter?