Participating in a Multidisciplinary Team, Capstone Project Example

Introduction

Team-based collaborations in the work environment require a strategic approach that is based upon addressing specific needs and meeting expectations at a high level. This process is instrumental in the success of these teams and in meeting the required objectives. It is important for nurses to be able to collaborate with their colleagues and across other disciplines as a means of promoting an effective and meaningful work environment. This process is ongoing and requires an expert approach to collaboration that includes the ability to share decision-making and to compromise as necessary. It is often difficult for these characteristics to be met at the same time; therefore, it is likely that some collaborations will be less successful than others. It is important for nurses to be mindful of the advantages of multidisciplinary collaborations and to learn how to work well with others in this manner. This approach will likely have numerous benefits and support an environment in which patient care outcomes will be achieved at the highest possible level.

Body

Multidisciplinary teams are likely to evolve in a variety of patient care settings, including operating rooms, where there is a high degree of complexity and difficulty regarding the work that is performed (Cumin, Boyd, Webster, & Weller, 2013). Therefore, it is critical that all members of the team are on the same page and are able to actively contribute to the team experience at the highest possible level in order to meet or even exceed expectations and to protect patients from unnecessary risk or harm (Cumin et.al, 2013). This process is instrumental in educating nurses regarding the value of multidisciplinary teams and in determining what steps are required to utilize team strengths to improve outcomes (Cumin et.al, 2013). Similarly, it is likely that a multidisciplinary approach will provide value in the ICU setting in sharing information among colleagues and with family members in regards to the health status of a patient (Shaw, Davidson, Smilde, Sondoozi, & Agan, 2014). This process requires an ongoing approach to patient care and treatment that will have lasting benefits, along with opportunities to improve upon existing knowledge and the efficient utilization of resources to promote a high quality level of care at all times (Shaw et.al, 2014).

Multidisciplinary communication has numerous advantages for nurses, as it engages them in working with other disciplines and to understand their roles in a larger context (Shaw et.al, 2014). This process also supports the continued growth and expansion of nurses’ knowledge of and experience in working with members of other disciplines (Shaw et.al, 2014). There must be a greater emphasis on the ability of nurses to be proactive in recognizing their roles and how they impact the entire team, along with other factors that support their overall growth and maturity at this level. Communication in the multidisciplinary environment will support this growth and aim to recognize the value and contribution of nurses in meeting specific needs and expectations to improve patient care (Shaw et.al, 2014).

A team is only as effective as the sum of its parts; therefore, it is critical that members of multidisciplinary teams are able to share ideas and communicate effectively at all stages so that their contribution to the team is optimized (Kilpatrick, Lavoie-Tremblay, Ritchie, & Lamothe, 2014). This reflects the importance of developing new insights regarding how to be as effective as possible when working in a multidisciplinary team so that patients will benefit from the actions that are taken (Kilpatrick et.al, 2014). All multidisciplinary teams must have a leader who will strive to keep team members aligned in order to meet the primary objectives of the team, while also considering other factors that will enhance the team experience and provide additional insight regarding the strengths of each member to enhance the team’s overall effectiveness (Kilpatrick et.al, 2014).

The state of modern healthcare practice has become increasingly multidisciplinary in nature and has been largely effective in meeting the needs of a widespread client base across many diverse groups. Therefore, it is important to recognize the ability of these teams to have a lasting impact on healthcare practice over the long term through knowledge sharing and experiences (Davidson, Doyle, & Silver, 2015). This process is instrumental in shaping how a multidisciplinary team responds to a set of problems and what is required to achieve the intended results that will have a positive impact on patient care (Davidson et.al, 2015). This process also requires nurses and other team members to take notice of their responsibility to continuously adopt new perspectives and to transition into an ever-changing collaborative environment that will have positive benefits for patients (Davidson et.al, 2015). These experiences will support a healthcare dynamic that will translate into high value for patients in the quality of care that they receive (Davidson et.al, 2015).

Conclusion

Multidisciplinary teams require a strong commitment from each member to contribute at a high level and to make the team as successful as possible in meeting its required objectives. This is an ongoing learning curve that requires significant attention and focus in order to be successful in treating patients across different groups with the knowledge and expertise of multidisciplinary teams. It is believed that this strategy will provide significant value to patients and support a framework that is likely to have positive and lasting benefits for improving quality of care for patients and in supporting the improvement of an ever-changing healthcare climate across all communities.

References

Cumin, D., Boyd, M. J., Webster, C. S., & Weller, J. M. (2013). A systematic review of simulation for multidisciplinary team training in operating rooms.Simulation in Healthcare, 8(3), 171-179.

Davidson, L. F., Doyle, M., & Silver, E. J. (2015). Multidisciplinary Support for Healthcare Transitioning Across an Urban Healthcare Network. Journal of pediatric nursing.

Kilpatrick, K., Lavoie-Tremblay, M., Ritchie, J. A., & Lamothe, L. (2014). Advanced practice nursing, health care teams, and perceptions of team effectiveness. Journal of Trauma Nursing, 21(6), 291-299.

Shaw, D. J., Davidson, J. E., Smilde, R. I., Sondoozi, T., & Agan, D. (2014). Multidisciplinary Team Training to Enhance Family Communication in the ICU*.Critical care medicine, 42(2), 265-271.