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Interprofessional Collaboration Reflection

Kathryn Crim

School of Nursing, James Madison University

NSG 463: Professional Role Transition

Dr. Nena Powell

October 27, 2021

Abstract

Trust, respect, communication, and collaboration make up the foundation for the nursing

profession. As nurses, interprofessional collaboration is utilized daily to ensure safe, high quality

patient care. It involves communication with a variety of healthcare providers, families,

communities, and the patient. The sharing of roles and responsibilities and effective leadership

skills ensure that patient care is performed in quality, not in quantity. The views, opinions, and

perceptions of interprofessional collaboration vary by individual. The following paper will

discuss the perceptions/views of a family nurse practitioner, and the role she plays in

interprofessional collaboration.

keywords: interprofessional collaboration, communication, leadership, healthcare team

Interprofessional Collaboration Reflection

Interprofessional collaboration has become an essential tool for healthcare providers, a

tool that if used effectively can promote patient safety, improve the quality of care, and aid in

patient engagement (Campoe, 2020). Interprofessional collaboration is not distinct to healthcare

providers, it includes the patient, families, communities, and caregivers. It allows different

backgrounds of healthcare providers to come together to collaborate, share roles and

responsibilities and coordinate effective, safe, high quality patient care (Regan et al., 2016). The

perception of interprofessional collaboration varies on the values and beliefs of the individual

and their field of study, as well as effective communication skills, positive leadership, and

supportive environment. This reflection paper will discuss a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)

perception of interprofessional collaboration, effective communication, and roles and

responsibilities of being on the interprofessional team.

Interview: Family Nurse Practitioner

An interview of a family nurse practitioner was conducted to determine the roles and

responsibilities encountered on an interprofessional care team, the communication strategies, and

determine an overall perception of how interprofessional collaboration can be effective, as well

as possible conflicts that may arise. The identified member of the healthcare team chosen to be

interviewed, was Carolyn Williams, a family nurse practitioner for a public health clinic in rural

Virginia, The Bradley Free Clinic. Public health nursing focuses on improving the health of the

community by delivering care to individuals with chronic health conditions and planning and

implementing programs within the community to maintain health and disease prevention (Black,

2020). The interview of a public health provider was conducted based on the significance it has

on disease prevention, a topic that is crucial in today’s health crisis.

Roles and Responsibilities

Carolyn Williams, FNP reported her responsibilities as being the primary provider for a

large patient panel. The decision to be a part of the Bradley Free Clinic was based on its

flexibility, it allowed her to provide care to patients of all ages, as well as be a primary care

provider. The choice also gave her the option to specialize, depending on the patient situation.

The office has several different teams working together collectively, each with a designated team

leader. As a provider, Carolyn is the team leader, her team consists of a registered nurse (RN),

two certified nursing assistants (CNA), and a laboratory technician. As the team leader, it is her

responsibility to ensure communication within the team is open, heard and most importantly,

effective. The focus of Carolyn’s practice is ensuring openness and inclusivity with her patients

and family, allowing voices, opinions and concerns be heard. Interprofessional collaboration is

perceived as being a high priority task for her team, noting that the more diverse styles, levels of

education and different opinions you expose yourself to, the better provider you can be, as well

as leader/role model. The professional career for Carolyn, began as a RN, then advancement to

FNP, as both titles provide direct patient care, the roles and responsibilities are quite different.

As an FNP, Carolyn has transitioned from a member of the healthcare team to being the leader,

an area that often faces role blurring and overlapping. The importance of distinction of roles is

one of the hardest tasks as an advanced practitioner; making sure voices are heard; however, the

final decision lies in the healthcare provider. Ultimately, Carolyn makes the decisions for her

team, meets with other team leaders weekly and is involved in active meetings with management

once a month – all effective and appropriate collaboration between different branches at the

office.

Communication
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Communication is often disregarded as a part of human nature; however, it can easily be

misconstrued. Poor communication in the healthcare profession is one of the leading causes of

preventable deaths (Campoe, 2020). Patients, families, and the community suffer when

healthcare team members fail to use the appropriate communication knowledge and resources

available. Communication can be done in person, electronically, or written. It can be determined

that no matter the modality of communication, it remains a vital part of the healthcare team.

During the interview, communication technique and skills were discussed – Carolyn mentioned

that use of verbal and electronic communication, creating patient cases for any issues and/or

conflicts and working within that framework to come to a resolution. Communication strategies

that Carolyn incorporates in her team include active listening, being flexible when receiving

communication, and being always open and available. Huddles occur daily before any patient

allowing roles/responsibilities to be assigned, expectations, goals, and opinions/concerns be

discussed, this ensures that each member of the team is felt heard and on the same page –

decreasing the chance for medical errors and/or communication conflicts to arise. Along with

daily huddles, the team leader, in this case Carolyn meets with management once a month.

Throughout the discussion regarding communication, the topic of communication styles

was brought up. It was noted that not everyone has the same communication techniques and/or

styles which often can be a barrier in effective communication. Interestingly, Carolyn’s practice

participated in a communication workshop – they used the Tony Robbins DISC personality test

to determine personality styles. The DISC personality assessment consists of four personalities –

dominance, influence, steadiness, and conscientiousness, all with their own defining

characteristics (Robbins, 2020). Robbins (2020) assessment tools promotes personal growth and

allows a person to meet their own needs which results in being more present in relationships. By
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utilizing this assessment tool, they were able to determine individuals “language of personality”

which allowed communication to be tailored to the individual’s needs. It was discussed that

being able to understand personalities allows the team to appreciate others diversity and what

they have to offer. They were able to determine roles for each team member based on their

strengths and weakness of their personality. Since performing the assessment tool,

communication has been easier, relationships have gotten stronger, productivity has increased,

and a noticeable increase in morale has occurred. Conflicts were minimized since this tool was

used in the practice. The tool allowed communication to be more effective, the team to be more

cohesive, and it assisted in retention of staff. Regan et al., (2016) supports that effective

communication and leadership has led to healthcare job retention, job satisfaction and decreased

burnout.

A communication tool such as SBAR (situation, background, assessment, and

recommendation) is often used within the healthcare profession to effectively communicate

between healthcare disciplines (Black, 2020). Within a tight knit healthcare office,

communication can become less formal; however, it is still used when reaching out to different

fields of study. The communication tool is widely known across the healthcare profession and

allows a structured method of communication in spoken form (Black, 2020). In this

communication tool, you can determine relevant information and present it to a colleague in a

brief method, allowing a resolution to occur in a timely fashion. As discussed in the interview,

this method is used on occasion when outside resources are necessary for patient care.

Leadership

Effective leadership involves a connection, a collaboration, a relationship between a team

of healthcare professionals (Regan et al., 2016). Leaders are in the position to implement a
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workplace environment that is supportive, encouraging, positive and allows opportunities for

open dialogue. Throughout the discussion, defining roles within the care team played a vital part

of successful leadership. Examples such as role blurring and overlapping interfered with

Carolyn’s ability to step into the leadership role as an advanced practitioner. Through trial and

error, Carolyn was able to delineate her role as a leader and make clear distinction between

nurse, CNA, and FNP. She commends the personality assessment in helping her transition to a

leader; helping her feel comfortable and worthy of her position. It was expressed that being a

leader involves continual education and experience, all things she is willing to do for her team

and patients. Since the personality assessment took place in her workplace, potential conflicts no

longer exist, as a leader, she can communicate and address topic with her staff/team in a manner

that is receptive to their personality. The correlation between leadership and interprofessional

collaboration exist and only work cohesively if the individuals involved are knowledgeable about

interprofessional collaboration, share responsibilities, trust each other, have mutual respect, and

maintain open effective communication (Regan et al., 2016).

Personal Reflection

The experience of interviewing a healthcare provider has allowed me, as a RN to

discover the roles and responsibilities of being an advanced practitioner, an advancement option

for my career. Prior to interviewing, my opinions regarding interprofessional collaboration were

based solely on experience – working in a medical office with physicians, as well as currently in

an acute care setting at a local hospital. My perceptions of interprofessional collaboration within

a small medical office were consistent with the FNP interviewed – daily huddles, briefing, and

more informal communication between nurse and physician. On the opposite spectrum, working

in an acute care setting, my opinions and perceptions are vastly different – communication is
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formal and consists of using the SBAR method. Hierarchy is well-known and highly respected

within the setting, often allowing intimidation and fragmented healthcare delivery. The

difference between a close-knit office versus healthcare providers in a large hospital can affect

the quality of communication. Interprofessional collaboration is a tool that is widely utilized in a

hospital setting, allowing multiple practitioners to come together to form an appropriate care plan

for the patient – this utilizes knowledge from vastly different specialties ensuring that the patient

is receiving the best care possible. Personally, I rely on interprofessional collaboration daily in

my nursing practice. In terms of leadership, it was informative to learn about the views on

leadership and the hurdles to step into that position. Prior to the interview, the consideration

never came to mind; however, now the struggles and challenges to separate roles and provide

clear distinction are vital to be an effective leader. If leaders can remain true to their values and

beliefs, they enable others to do the same.

Conclusion

Interprofessional collaboration is not inclusive to the healthcare profession, it involves

families, caregivers, the community, and most importantly the patient. The success of

interprofessional collaboration rests on effective communication and appropriate

leadership/management skills. It remains true that being an effective communicator means

remaining open to all forms of communication, active listening, letting opinions be heard and

ensuring that communication is always a mutual concession. As a leader, having the appropriate

expertise, experience, and skill level to acknowledge your team members with respect and

languages that are reciprocated based on their own individual needs. In conclusion, based on the

interview process, it can be formulated that interprofessional collaboration is necessary to

provide high quality patient care that involves all members of the care team.
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References

Black, B. P. (2020). Professional nursing: Concepts & challenges (9th ed.). Elsevier.

Campoe, K. (2020). Interprofessional collaboration during COVID-19. MEDSURG

Nursing, 29(5), 297–298. 

Regan, S., Laschinger, H. K. S., & Wong, C. A. (2016). The influence of empowerment,

authentic leadership, and professional practice environments on nurses’ perceived

interprofessional collaboration. Journal of Nursing Management (John Wiley & Sons,

Inc.), 24(1), E54–E61. https://doi.org/10.1111/jonm.12288

Robbins, Tony. (2021, March 19). DISC assessment: Which personality type are you? Retrieved

November 6, 2021, from https://www.tonyrobbins.com/leadership-impact/disc-

personality-types/.