Collaborative Practice Among Nursing Teams

1
2008

• Collaborative Practice Among Nursing Teams
• Karen Ellis-Scharfenberg RN, BScN, MBA
• Senior Manager
• Centre for Professional Nursing Excellence

Date
2
Teamwork As An Experience

• Although being part of a team is a commonly held
  experience, we all experience teams and teamwork
  in a different manner.
• Each member of the team comes with
• differing expectations and assumptions about
  teamwork that is based on previous learning,
  experiences and professional expectations.
• (RNAO, 2006)

3
Collaboration is.

• .the process of working together to build
  consensus on common goals, approaches and
  outcomes. It requires
• an understanding of own and others roles,
• mutual respect among participants,
• commitment to common goals,
• shared decision making,
• effective communication relationships
• accountability for both the goals and team
  members.
• (RNAO, 2006)

4
Attributes of Collaboration

• Cooperative endeavor
• Willing participation
• Shared planning and decision making
• Recognizing and sharing expertise
• Nonhierarchical mutually respectful relationships

5
Individual Recommendations

• Develop knowledge about teamwork/collaboration
• Demonstrate a willingness to work with others
• Be accountable
• Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
• Establish and follow processes for conflict
  resolution
• Establish processes for decision-making in
• emergencies
• day-to-day functioning
• long-term planning
• policy development
• care planning

6
Organizational Recommendations

• Implement strategies that encourage and enable
  effective teamwork including
• Physical Space
• Administrative Support
• Orientation
• Compensation
• Rewards and Recognition
• Decision Making and implementation of Policy
• Evaluation of nursing teams, nurses and clients

7
External System Recommendations

• Government
• Research
• Accreditation
• Education
• Nursing Profession/Regulatory

8

• There is a pressing need for nurses to be
  skilled teammates and team leaders.
• Being skilled means. understanding the
  principles of teamwork and collaboration so well
  that you can apply them with ease
• to the ever changing context of practice.
• (RNAO, 2006)