INTERPROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION AND TEAMWORK

Part 1:

Three aspects of the interprofessional communication and teamwork:

Effective interprofessional communication and teamwork are the fundamental to improve the care experiences of patients (Broman et al. 2017). Close loop communication (CLC) is crucial in performing effective interprofessional team communication and teamwork thereby improving the overall quality of the care delivery to critical patients. CLC enables nurses to use the standardize process and systematic process of maintaining safe communication with the team members of an interprofessional team to ensure that all the team members are provided with the health-related updates of patient health (Lee & Kim, 2020). By analysing the interprofessional communication in the case video, it can be stated that Monica and Katie have successfully maintained effective CLC with the Dolly and the members of the MET team (Kelli and Chanika). On the other hand, an effective CLC is also formed between Monica and Katie. The communication is considered as effective in the case video, because through the Close loop communication, Monica and Ketti have used the well-organized and standardize communication process that assist the entre MET team to get clear information regarding the current health observation of Dolly. The CLC involves three important stages to ensure the safe communication among all the team members of an interprofessional team. These three stages are, the transmission of the authentic as well as transparent information regarding patients’ health to the receiver, the receival of the correct information by the receiver and then analysis of the received information by the transmitter to ensure that receiver understand and correctly interpret the massage (Salik & Ashurst, 2019). In the case video, Katie haa noted down all the observation related information of Dolly and communicate this report to Monica and after sharing these observation report of Dolly, Ketti and Monica have and effectives discussion on analysing the current health needs of Dolly based on her current health observation. CLC enables to entire MET team to set an effective clinical decision of using the administration of IV fluids into Dolly which will improves her overall health condition. Despite the effectives close loop communication that is performed by the members of the MET call team. There is also negligence in using CLC effectively to ensure patient safety (Diaz & Dawson, 2020).

Structural handover is the systematic process of transferring them responsibility of the ongoing and immediate care of a patient by following to ISBAR (identify, situation–background–assessment–recommendation) pathways (Cowan et al. 2018). In the case video there are examples of the both the ineffective and effectives communication among the members of the MET call team that impact the effectiveness of interprofessional working and systematic teamwork to provide the high-quality care delivery to Dolly. The example of the effective structural handover in the case study is that, the responsibility and self-motivation that Monica shows throughout the handover of Dolly’s case to the MET call team. While going to call the MET call, Monica tell Katie to be there with Dolly to ensure the safety of Dolly. While performing the structural handover, a nurse must ensure that there must be enough arrangements to ensure patients safety throughout the process (van der Wulp et al. 2019). On the other hand, after calling the MET call team Monica performs many functions such as going to do the IV fluid administration, get the IV canula trolley, going to take the antibiotics and make a systematic discussion with Kelly (registrar) on how to reduce the pain that Dolly experiences by providing her with the pain releaser. All these jobs that Monica performs during and after the handover of Dolly’s care to Kelly and Chanika not only assist the team to maintain effective as well as systematic communication among team members but also enhance team’s spirit by promoting the self-motivation for each member to put the best effort to improve the care experiences of Dolly. Effectives structural handover allows the members in an interprofessional team to follow the guidelines of the ISBAR by maintaining a transparent communication system that maintains synergistic as well as collaborative environment within the team (France et al. 2019). The negative aspect that are associated with structural handover that develop the ineffective communication is the lack of responsibility of Katie that she shows during structural handover of the case to Monica. In this context, as a student nurse Katie can initiate the MET call, that is her responsibility to follow the ISBAR rather than handover the task to Monica which presents Katie’s poor contribution in maintaining effective communication and synergistic teamwork within the MET Team.

Clinical leadership is important in nursing to lead an interprofessional team towards developing an effective and clear communication between the team members thereby developing the right and appropriate care strategies for patients to improve patient’s experience (Bender, 2017). In the case video Kelli acts as the clinical leaders who provides instructions to t other members of the MET call team regarding medications, IV fluids arrangement, checking the blood pressure of Dolly and observing the current health status of Dolly before the fluid infusion. As mentioned by Smith et al. (2018), poor and infective leadership not only pose adverse impacts on the care experiences of the patients but also interfere with accountability as well as professional integrity of entire interprofessional team to meet their clinical objectives. Although Kelli is good in checking Dolly’s heath status by giving useful clinical instruction to Monica and Katie, she shows negligence and lack of expertise many times to lead the team members that interfere with safe care delivery to Dolly. Kelli informs Monica that she stands on the wrong side of Dolly for the IV cannulation after Monica already starts the process in the right arm of Dolly rather Kelli needs to instruct Monica on using the left side for the IV canula before she starts the process. Kelli does not provide clear instruction to Monica and other nurses regarding the amount, rate and the dose of the IV fluid and antibiotics and pain medication to be administered to Dolly. Therefore, although Kelli has attempted a good democratic leadership style to maintain collaborative communication with the MET team members her poor skill in managing and instructing the team in right direction safety interfere with the spirit and productivity of the team.

Part 2:

Impacts of interprofessional communication on patients, staffs and organisation:

Impacts on patients:

Interprofessional communication and effective teamwork impact patients in several ways such as in providing the high-quality care, eliminate the risk of medication errors, treat patients with respect and dignity throughout the care delivery and determine as well as meet patient’s health needs (Folkman., Tveit & Sverdrup, 2019). The synchronous communication involves the structural handover, conference meeting, official conversation and ward round. On the other hand, the asynchronous communication involves the formatting of drug chart and preparing written medication document. As mentioned by Nzinga, mcgivern & English (2018)., effective communication in an interprofessional team must be clear and concise that will eliminate the chances of any kind of medication errors, misinterpretation of the information and the negligence in the care delivery process. In the given case scenario, there are both examples of the ineffective and effectives close loop communication between the MET call team members that impacts on the care experiences of Dolly. On the positive note Monica and Katie use an effective close loop communication to work synergistically in which while Monica goes to call the MET call team Katie checks Dolly’s blood pressure. As mentioned by Bardach, Real & Bardach. (2017), an effective close loop communication can assist the nurses to make fair and systematic delegation of task among team members thereby ensuring the fast care delivery to patient. In the case scenario, after handing over the case of Dolly to MET call team, Monica and Katie make the clear discussion with Kelli and Chanika about the current health status of Dolly, which enables the team to get all the important updates regarding patient’s health that is important to set the appropriate care strategies.

Impacts on staffs

Effective interprofessional communication and teamwork have also potential impacts on the care staffs. In an interprofessional team there are staffs who belong to different clinical background (Etherington et al. 2019). The systematic interprofessional communication and effective teamwork enable the care staffs to share their diverse clinical ideas, experiences, professional knowledge and clinical expertise with each other that enhance overall quality of care. For example, in the case study, Monica, Katie, Chanika and Kelli work together to share their knowledge, suggestion, ideas and professional expertise to develop an effective care strategy to provide the immediate clinical support to Dolly. In this case scenario. Monica and Katie discuss on the health needs of Dolly with Chanika and Kelli and then comes up with the collaborative decision that there must be an IV fluid administration and use of a pain medication to Dolly to improves her physical health. These effectives communication within the interprofessional team assists the entire MET team to improve the health of Dolly by developing and implementing right care plan that enables them to meet the organisational objectives to promote positive health and alleging of patient. Therefore, through implementing effective and transparent communication and systematic teamwork, it is possible to enhances the productivity of the care organisation in relation to improve the care experiences of any patients by providing the patient with the high-quality care.

Impacts on the organisation:

The effective interprofessional communication and teamwork impacts on the overall productivity, care framework and the regulation as well as policies of a healthcare organisation (Zhao et al. 2019). Lack of clear and effective communication within team can enhance patient’s health risk by increasing the changes of medication errors, surgical errors and wrong care delivery in the healthcare organisation that interfere with the organisational objectives of providing the safe and effective care to each patient (Nguyen et al. 2019). For example, in the case scenario. The lack of clear discussion on which side of Dolly needs to be chosen to inject the IV fluid causes surgical error in which the there is an attempt for IV fluid infusion on the wrong side (right arm) that enhances the chances health risk of Dolly. An effective close loop communication can assist a healthcare organisation to maintain fair and systematic delegation of task among team members thereby ensuring the fast care delivery to patient. In the case scenario, there is systematic and effectives delegation of task between Monica and Katie. While Monica is busy in preparing the IV cannula trolley, antibiotics and arranging the MET call, Katie perform the health observation of Dolly such as checking her blood pressure.

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