Interprofessional Collaboration Essay

The World Health Organization (2010) defines interprofessional collaboration in health care as occurring “when multiple health workers from different professional backgrounds provide comprehensive services by working with patients, their families, carers and communities to deliver the highest quality of care across settings” (p. 7) and IPE as occurring “when two or more professions learn about, from and with each other to enable effective collaboration and improve health outcomes” (p. 7). Interprofessional collaboration is contingent on IPE; education promotes collaborative patient-centered care by strengthening communication skills and teamwork. This paper discusses the importance of interprofessional collaboration in healthcare by examining

the context of collaboration between nursing and paramedicine and more importantly, the importance of teamwork and effective communication.
Paramedics are first responders; they provide emergency health care to patients with sudden onset illness or injury that have called 911. Upon arrival to an emergency, paramedics are responsible for assessing the extent of injury or illness. Depending on the emergency, paramedics begin primary assessment by examining respiration and pulse. They may begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), if the patient is not breathing; automatic external defibrillation (AED), in the case of cardiac arrest; or apply limb splints, dress wounds, administer pain relief, oxygen, intravenous drug therapy, etc. (Freeman, 2014). Their primary concern is keeping the patient stabilized during transport to the hospital. Their notes must be thorough and contain all necessary information.
Upon arrival to the hospital, paramedics are met by the attending nurse. The paramedic briefs the nurse on the emergency and the condition of the patient. They inform the nurse of any treatment that was administered during transfer and/or any procedure that was performed on the patient. They brief the nurse on the patient’s symptoms, allergies, medications, past medical history, last oral intake, and events leading to the emergency (“SAMPLE history,” 2012).
Effective communication between nursing staff and paramedics is crucial. The information communicated during their interaction determines a patient’s subsequent treatment; the attending physician ultimately uses this information to accurately assess and recommend a treatment plan.
Ineffective communication has the potential to lead to detrimental consequences for the patient. For example, consider a situation in which a paramedic fails to inform the attending nurse of the intravenous drug therapy administered to a patient during transfer. The nurse or physician, unaware of the previously administered drug, may order for another dose to be administered, leading to an overdose. However unintentional, ineffective collaboration between health care professionals has the potential to significantly harm patients and in some cases cause fatalities.
No one profession, especially with the greater specialization of health professions, has the knowledge or skill to diagnose and treat all health problems (Carpenter, Erickson, Purves, & Hill, 2004); the combined knowledge and skill of multiple health professions working together promotes informed decision making and quality patient-centered care.

Interprofessional collaboration has been shown to increase access to healthcare, improve outcomes for patients with chronic disease, reduce medical errors, reduce tension and conflict among caregivers, improve the use of clinical resources, and lower rates of staff turnover (Lemieux-Charles & McGuire, 2006). IPE is a means to promote collaboration between health care professions. In a study designed to assess the effectiveness of IPE interventions compared to separate, profession-specific education interventions, 4 of 6 studies found that IPE improved patient satisfaction, collaborative team behaviour, and decreased clinical error in emergency departments (Reeves et al., 2008).

Despite the importance of interprofessional collaboration in healthcare, many colleges still teach students in a uni-professional manner. The uni-professional approach to education creates problems: a lack of understanding of the roles of other professions, poor attitude toward professional collaboration, poor teamwork and communication skills (Frenk et al.,

2010).
The development of interprofessional skills is best achieved through IPE. For example, having nursing and paramedicine students working together to transfer and assess a patient in an emergency simulation teaches them how to effectively communicate with the other profession. The nurses acknowledge the context and environment in which paramedics practice; paramedics better understand the scope of practice of a nurse working in an emergency department (Johnston, MacQuarrie, & Rae, 2014). A study assessing the attitudes of undergraduate nursing and paramedic students to interprofessional simulations found the majority of students enjoyed practicing clinical handover and found it valuable to communicate and debrief with another member of the health care team (Johnston, MacQuarrie, & Rae, 2014).
Effectively collaborating with and understanding the scope of practice of other health care professions is essential for patient-centered care; the combined knowledge and skills allow informed decision making in the diagnosis and treatment of health problems. An interprofessional approach to education enhances patient-centered care by emphasizing the importance of interprofessional collaboration.