Explain the concept of true collaboration in health care and describe the benefits of effective interdisciplinary collaboration. Then, describe the characteristics required for effective collaboration, describe barriers to collaboration, and offer evidence-based strategies to overcome those barriers.

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:

Competency 1: Explain the principles and practices of highly effective interdisciplinary collaboration.
Explain the concept of collaboration in health care.
Describe the characteristics and concepts required for effective interdisciplinary collaboration.
Describe barriers to effective interdisciplinary collaboration.
Identify evidence-based strategies to overcome barriers to effective interdisciplinary collaboration.
Competency 3: Explain the internal and external factors that can affect the health of individuals, families, communities, and populations.
Describe the benefits of effective collaboration and teamwork in health care for patients, organizations, and team members.
Competency 4: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and consistent with the expectations of a nursing professional.
Write content clearly and logically with correct use of grammar, punctuation, and mechanics.
Correctly format paper, citations, and references using current APA style.
Context

Every day, in every patient setting, health care professionals must interact with other health care professionals, as well as with providers from other professions to share information, conduct safety and quality checks, and work with patients in a variety of ways to make sure they understand their health care needs and will be more likely to comply with treatment plans.

Research consistently shows that interdisciplinary collaboration and teamwork improves the quality and safety of patient care by recognizing the skills and experience of each team member, allowing the team to function more effectively and efficiently.

Questions to Consider

To deepen your understanding, you are encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of your professional community.

Are interdisciplinary teams commonly used where you work?
If so, in which areas are they more likely to be implemented?
If not, in which areas would such a team be most effective?
How can nurses encourage more interdisciplinary teams within their organizations?
Assessment Instructions

You are part of an interdisciplinary team that has been highly effective. Your supervisor asks you to write a short article about why the team has been so successful and submit it to the organizational newsletter for publication.

Preparation

Search the University library and the Internet for peer-reviewed journal articles on collaboration and teamwork in health care. You will need at least 3 articles to support your work on this assessment.