Enhancing Health Outcomes Through Collaboration

The contributions of individuals and interprofessional healthcare teams to improve patient and population health outcomes.

Individuals who possess vast knowledge and skills are more likely to improve the patient and population health care outcomes. Mastery and experience in one’s scope of practice help reduce medical errors and improve patient safety. It is estimated that medical errors contribute to one out of ten cases of death worldwide. Individuals can also improve care outcomes by employing technologies such as telehealth. Telehealth makes it easier for patients to access care services and health records and as a result makes it easy to navigate the healthcare system and get the care they need. Most importantly, individuals in care can improve care outcomes by educating patients about their health conditions and care plans. This helps clients to actively participate in their care.

The interprofessional collaboration uses teamwork to bring different specialties together in order to accomplish a goal. An interprofessional team may include nurses, physicians, surgeons, therapists, pharmacists, and technicians who join efforts to treat patients. They are able to improve care outcomes because they bring to the table different skills, abilities, and experiences when handling a complex patient case. Moreover, by collaborating with other professionals, care providers can reduce medical errors, improve patient care, and satisfactorily meet the needs of different populations.

The role of the professional nurse as a member and leader of interprofessional healthcare teams.

The role of the professional nurse as a member of interprofessional teams includes checking vital signs and performing basic nursing functions such as dressing wounds. Additionally, nurses have a role in ensuring that patients are comfortable, fully fed, and hydrated. Depending on the setting, nurses can administer medications. Nurses who act as leaders of interprofessional healthcare teams are responsible for delegating, supervising, and assigning duties to team members. They also educate patients and staff, act as client advocates, make client referrals, and evaluate patient outcomes. Nurse leaders play an integral role in ensuring the continuity of care as they mobilize and motivate care professionals to effectively deliver care service.

Organizational structures that support care delivery and achieve desired outcomes.

Organization structures are the building blocks that affect the context in which care is provided. This includes but is not limited to equipment, technologies, physical facilities, library resources, dedicated structured time, and individuals dedicated to evidence-based practice. Another important structure in supporting care delivery and achieving desired outcomes is custom or actions. This encompasses the culture, policy, and operational procedures that guide how care is delivered. APA