What are your thoughts
Nursing is a profession that is known for teamwork, compassion and trust. “To achieve positive outcomes and improved health for individuals, collaboration is essential” by working with other parts of the health care team (McNiff, 2018). Nursing can also be stressful, emotionally and physically draining, and time-consuming. Utilizing resources in the nursing field such as a pharmacist in the ED during a pediatric code, adult code or administration of TPA can help reduce medication errors. When we care for the patient from a team perspective, there is communication and care that is provided in a timely manner which can ensure trust in a patient and their family members. When nurses work with providers, to meet the needs of patients, the overall quality and safety of care is higher. It has shown that “interprofessional collaboration (IPC) improves communication between health care workers and health care delivery” (Bar, Leurer, Warschawski, & Itzhaki, 2018) Working together towards one common goal is the best outcome for the patient. There are situations when it is difficult to sustain this goal due to outside factors that can hinder the quality of care. “Success will come if all health care professionals work together to transform” and change old bad habits (Salmond & Echevarria, 2017). This is key in providing the best care; nurses and other staff must be open to change and be able to adapt.
In the Emergency Response System, there is now a paramedic in a company car that has a job to be the first one at a call when there is a delayed ambulance responding. The paramedic that is first on the scene now has the responsibility of starting care and assessing the patient. The response from the transporting ambulance and the fire station crew then arrive and use teamwork and collaboration to care for the patient and then are transported to the hospital. The rig that arrives first on the scene is now able to start care when there is a delay in response times. This is helping response times and the patient is getting the care they need sooner. Another example of an emerging trend is the telepsychiatry cart that we provide to patients in the ED. The psychiatric doctor is accessible on a computer and is able to assess the patients and then make recommendations to the ED doctor and nurses and the social worker are able to facilitate a plan of care while they wait for a bed at a psychiatric facility.
