iCare Assignment Interprofessional Teams
Interprofessional teams were present in my clinical rotations since different healthcare providers collaborated to enhance patient outcomes. The health department involved working with elderly patients who were suffering from blood pressure and heart diseases. Interprofessional teams worked together to provide quality treatment to patients. The professional team functions involved support services including x-ray experts, nutritionists, counselors, occupational therapy and social support services. One of the functions that should be improved is diet counseling for patients suffering from high blood pressure. Improvement of the nursing function will enhance the effectiveness of the interprofessional teams in providing quality healthcare to elderly patients.
Compassion
Compassion in nursing involves treating patients with respect and dignity. While attending to the elderly patients who are suffering from high blood pressure and heart diseases, compassion is necessary (Traynor, 2017). It involves understanding the patient and treating them with respect. For example, one of the ways of showing respect is providing patients with the necessary information on why they need to take medication.Patients who dislike any form of medication have the liberty not to take it. It is a sign of respecting their decision. The function contributes to interprofessional team support by educating the patient on the negative and positive impacts of checking their nutritional intake (Reeves, Pelone, Harrison, Goldman & Zwarenstein, 2017). The function has an impact on the organizational culture since it gives the nurses the opportunity to provide the necessary information, but to leave the patient with the final decision. It promotes a culture of patient-centered care. It improves patient outcomes since patients are satisfied when they are given the opportunity to make decisions. As a nurse, you show compassion by treating your patients with respect and dignity. When taking care of elderly patients with high blood pressure and heart diseases, you need to have compassion (Traynor, 2017). It means getting to know the patient and treating them well. For example, one way to show respect is to tell patients why they need to take their medicine.
Advocacy
Advocacy in nursing practice is essential in ensuring the welfare of the patients is taken care of. It involves protecting the patient from harm by communicating their preferences and providing crucial information for decision-making (Traynor, 2017). The function is crucial in interprofessional support since it defends the rights of patients and advocates for their preferences. Therefore, patients’ wishes must be accomplished. It is necessary as part of the organizational culture since it trains nurses to be advocates for their patients. Nurses can thus provide the necessary support to ensure patients are not exposed to health risks such as the medicine that can harm a patient. Advocacy improves patient outcomes since it provides the necessary information for decision-making (Reeves, Pelone, Harrison, Goldman & Zwarenstein, 2017). Clinicians thus make decisions that will be geared towards improving care. For example, a patient who is suffering from hypertension may resist taking medication. A nurse can provide the information to other clinicians who will make critical decision to enhance patient care.
Resilience
Resilience is crucial in nursing due to the various challenges that health organizations are experiencing. For example, globally, the nursing shortage and an overwhelming number of patients requires resilience. Nurses are required to maintain a sense of hope and optimism during challenging times (Turner, 2014). When nurses are resilient, they will focus on their patients and improvise ways of providing quality care despite the challenges. It is essential to the interprofessional team since it helps in overcoming stressful working conditions for the benefit of the patient. Nurse leaders must express resilience to motivate their team members to remain committed despite various challenges. Resilience reduces the chances of developing stress due to tough working conditions. Therefore, nurses will remain strong to provide quality care (Turner, 2014). For example, dealing with elderly patients who resist taking medication will require resilience in improving ways of talking to them and convincing them that medication is necessary. A nurse who is not resilient will give up on the patients and leave them to suffer alone.
Evidence-based Practice
Evidence-based practice involves providing quality, efficient, current and best evidence to improve the quality of care. It is essential to support interprofessional teams since the information provided is reliable (Traynor, 2017). Nursing teams require reliable information to make decisions to improve the quality of care. For example, taking care of elderly patients with hypertension requires current and best evidence on how their health can be improved. It defines the organizational culture by stipulating that nursing care must be based on the best and current evidence (Reeves, Pelone, Harrison, Goldman & Zwarenstein, 2017). Patients with hypternsion require the kind of medical procedures that are based on the current and best practice especially during discharge. It improves the quality of patient outcomes since it enhances the recovery process for patients suffering from blood pressure.
Summary
iCARE (Compassion, Advocacy, Resilience, Evidence-Based Practice) can help interprofessional teams since the various components are used to boost collaboration of nurses. It helps in attending to the needs of a patient, putting their interests, developing courage amidst challenging issues, and using the best practices to enhance patient outcomes. Patient outcomes are enhanced since different collaborate and maximize their output. I can influence the process by training various nurses on the role of iCARE and interprofessional teams in boosting the quality of patient care. When nurses understand, it will be easy to implement and sustain the collaboration.
References
Reeves, S., Pelone, F., Harrison, R., Goldman, J., & Zwarenstein, M. (2017). Interprofessional collaboration to improve professional practice and healthcare outcomes. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, (6).
Traynor, M. (2017). Critical resilience for nurses: An evidence-based guide to survival and change in the modern NHS. Routledge.
Turner, S. B. (2014). The resilient nurse: an emerging concept. Nurse Leader, 12(6), 71-90.
