“Together Everyone Achieve More Work is the common definition of a teamwork. True enough, when working in partnership with colleagues and other professionals in the health setting, a better result is achieved. Quality patient care is never achieved solely by just one health worker nor by just one professional, it is always interrelated. Colleagues and other professionals work far better when there is a shared goal. And in return, when a good partnership is establish, each work becomes easy as support will become spontaneous.
In my dealings with others at work , I always ensure that a professional relationship is maintained. I respect the work of others and accept the limitations of each others’ skills and knowledge. I see to it that I am able to assist my colleagues politely, whatever their positions in the workplace. A happy relationship among us will mean things are get done efficiently, and the patients are then more satisfied with the service they get.
An effective working relationship with other professionals should start by understanding the organization that everyone is working at. Communication is central to effective working relationship with all kinds of people, including other professionals. In care setting, all health professionals have a shared goal towards the patients……quality patient care. And in trying to achieve the shared goal, communication is vital to it. However, the break in the communication will have a big impact in achieving the shared goals.
Communication with other professionals in the community may not be as easy as we think it would be. Basing on experiences, GP sometimes are not well informed of the update of the whereabouts of their patients; whether they are admitted in the hospital, an intermediate care facility, a nursing home or is back to their own home. Update on medications and conditions are not sometimes done in GP Surgery’s system or repeat prescription requests are at times not properly written due to so many factors: busy- Receptionists, language barriers or even sometimes due to either of both parties’ attitude. For written or faxed messages, the legibility of the handwriting also plays a part in speeding up wanted results. These are only few of the examples where the break of communication starts, which can affect the shared goal of quality patient care.
All past experiences with GP Surgery’s receptionist which affected my nursing work and my colleagues’ output had made me feel a template for fax messages must be in place for uniformity & consistency which will then result to efficiency . Thus, the different fax header sheets were initiated first in Domnall Intermediate Care Centre in 2007, then introduced in Bethany Care Home and then the Holywood Care Homelast year.
When the staff started using the different templates of the fax header sheets, positive changes were observed. Each of the parties are better informed now because there is a hard copy in place that can be used as a reference when following up requests. I have observed that the relationship of both the nursing staff and the GP Surgery staff are more relaxed now because there is better understanding of each others’ needs. These then contributed to better service to the patients .
Conflicts with GPs, the GP Surgery’s Receptionists, Practice Nurses and other allied health professionals are not so bad now than what is used to be before without the fax header templates. There are still concerns encountered with regards to this matter but, constant follow up to whatever is requested is encouraged to the staff.
In dealing with any conflicts, especially at work, I usually collaborate with the involved individuals, making sure that both sides win or the shared goal is achieved. It is sometimes difficult dealing with conflicts, especially when dealing with difficult people or people who think are higher than I am. With all the