ANSWER
Blog Post: Interprofessional and Intra-professional Teamwork in Nursing Practice
Experience in the Workplace Collaborating
My time working as a charge nurse in a busy intensive care unit was one of my most influential work experiences involving intra- and multidisciplinary communication. A sharp increase in central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) occurred on our unit, necessitating immediate cooperation amongst different medical specialists to determine the underlying reason and put remedies in place.
Individuals and groups that are intra- and interprofessional
Several parties were involved in the attempt to resolve the CLABSI issue:
Interdisciplinarity in Cooperation:
Nursing Staff: To comprehend central line care problems and pinpoint possible practice gaps, bedside nurses participated in daily brainstorming sessions. Nurses expressed worries regarding supply availability, inconsistent policy adherence, and time restrictions.
Nurse educators conducted focused training sessions to promote aseptic procedures and recommended practices for central line maintenance.
Multidisciplinary Cooperation:
Infection Prevention Team: The inquiry was headed by an infection preventionist who examined surveillance data, examined infection trends, and offered evidence-based suggestions for central line management.
Physicians: In order to assess patient-specific characteristics, like comorbidities, that may increase the risk of infection, cardiologists and intensivists were involved. They also contributed to the development of more stringent guidelines for the insertion and removal of lines.
Pharmacy Team: To minimize the emergence of resistance organisms and minimize the needless use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, pharmacists offered advice on how to optimize antibiotic stewardship.
Environmental Services: Made sure that cleaning procedures were followed in the intensive care unit to lower the danger of cross-contamination.
To stay transparent and monitor progress, the team used shared dashboards, email correspondence, and daily huddles.
Particular Difficulty
Overcoming staff nurses’ opposition to change was one of the biggest obstacles we had to overcome. Some nurses opposed implementing new central line care standards because they thought the current procedures were sufficient.
Resolution: To address this, we involved staff members in the process of finding a solution.
Empowerment: Nurses were urged to offer input and take part in testing novel tools, like dressings infused with chlorhexidine.
Education: We set up practical training sessions that illustrated the data supporting the suggested modifications. During these meetings, infection prevention specialists discussed how particular measures could lower the prevalence of CLABSI.
Recognition: During staff meetings, nurses who excelled in putting new protocols into practice received public recognition.
These tactics boosted compliance, fostered buy-in, and ultimately produced better results.
Particular Possibility
A chance presented itself to standardize the central line care package for all hospital intensive care units. Other units saw comparable difficulties with CLABSI rates, even though our intensive care unit was spearheading the effort.
Seizing the Chance: We worked together with ICU leaders to establish a hospital-wide policy:
Data Sharing: To demonstrate the effectiveness of the improvements put in place, infection rates and results from our intensive care unit were shared.
Cross-Unit Training: To conduct training sessions and exchange best practices, our nurses collaborated with other units.
Implementation of the Policy: To ensure consistency in care, a common central line care checklist was implemented throughout all units.
In addition to lowering hospital-wide CLABSI rates, this program promoted a collaborative and shared learning culture.
In conclusion
Improving patient outcomes and tackling difficult healthcare issues require both intra- and multidisciplinary teamwork. Healthcare teams may overcome obstacles, take advantage of opportunities, and promote long-lasting changes in care delivery by involving patients, sharing knowledge, and adopting a patient-centered approach.
QUESTION
Imagine that you are a DNP-prepared nurse responsible for overseeing a large intensive care unit (ICU). You have noticed that in the past three months, the number of nosocomial, or hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), has dramatically increased among patients who have undergone cardiovascular procedures. You would like to initiate a practice study to determine the source of these HAIs and to improve patient outcomes in your ICU.
What types of intra- and interdisciplinary collaboration might be needed to support the goals of this practice study? One example of intra-disciplinary collaboration is that you might meet with the nursing manager in charge of your unit and ask to set up a brainstorming session with the nurses on the unit to explore their perceptions of why the HAIs have increased among patients who have undergone cardiovascular procedures. An example of interdisciplinary collaboration is that you might team up with an infection prevention specialist (who may be a PhD-prepared nurse or PhD-credentialed healthcare professional) who can address the problem from an alternative perspective. These are just two of many potential intra- and interprofessional collaborations that may take place in an advanced nursing practice situation like this. Keep in mind that when intra- and interprofessional colleagues work together toward a shared, patient-centric goal, both the quality and cost of the care delivered will be optimized (Johnson & Johnson, 2016). Reference: Johnson & Johnson. (2023, September 10). Nursing: The importance of interprofessional collaboration in healthcare. https://nursing.jnj.com/getting-real-nursing-today/the-importance-of-interprofessional-collaboration-in-healthcare
To prepare:
· Review this week’s Learning Resources, paying special attention to the various strategies mentioned to foster intra- and interdisciplinary collaboration in nursing practice.
· Reflect on your own previous professional experiences with intra- and interdisciplinary collaboration.
· Consider the various intra- and interprofessional individuals and groups with whom you worked and the ways in which you interacted.
· Choose one specific challenge you faced and reflect on how you and your colleagues overcame it.
· Choose one specific opportunity you faced and reflect on how you and your colleagues embraced it.
By Day 3 of Week 6
Address the following in your Blog entry:
· Describe one relevant professional experience you have had with intra- and interdisciplinary collaboration.
· Describe the various intra- and interprofessional individuals and groups with whom you worked and the ways in which you interacted.
· Describe one specific challenge you faced and explain how you and your colleagues overcame it. Be specific.
· Describe one opportunity you faced and explain how you and your colleagues embraced it. Be specific.