Teamwork and collaboration go hand in hand in today’s health care delivery system because, “nurses and other health care team members must work together to achieve the common goal of providing the best possible care for clients” (Hood, 2014, p. 101). Once teamwork is in place, collaboration can be achieved by working together toward a common goal as a basic social process in which groups are formed and harmony is created within the team (Fewster- Thuente, 2015, p. 361). In professional nursing, teamwork and collaboration allows for joint responsibility in safely meeting all the needs of patients and their families. However, it is not safe to say that barriers to providing the best possible care for patients …show more content…
358). Once collaboration is established, health care providers must maintain healthy working relationships. Healthy working relationships among the team result when members use communication principles which include intention, listening, advocacy, inquiry and silence (Hood, 2014). Once there are a set of principles in place, it is time to collaborate with the patient and the multidisciplinary team to make the plan of care happen. “Making it happen denotes everyone involved knowing the plan and his or her role in it, then putting the plan into action. Everyone including the patient, must agree with the plan before it can be implemented” (Fewster-Thuente, 2015, p. …show more content…
“Conflict among the healthcare team has been present since the beginning of health care delivery. As health care professionals find fewer resources for client care, they sometimes turn against each other instead of working effectively together”(Hood, 2014, p. 101). To avoid barriers and conflict among professionals involved in the multidisciplinary care team, “an environment of respect, open-mindedness, and listening” (Fewster-Thuente, 2015, p. 360) must be in place for effective collaboration to occur. When healthy communication and environments are in place, “all team members can appreciate each person’s contributions to the common mission: excellent client care” (Hood, 2014, p. 102). Conclusion
Teamwork and collaboration are essential in the health care delivery system provided to patients today and in the future. In addition, teamwork helps the professional nurse to meet the needs of the patients they care for and their families by collaborating with other health care professionals. Teamwork and collaboration amongst professional members of the multidisciplinary team are needed to ultimately provide the safest and most effective quality care while the best possible outcomes are achieved for the patients entrusted in their