Interprofessional Communication Research Paper

Interprofessional Communication In the medical field there are many different professions that work together. It is the job of health care professionals to care for the people in need, and providing them quality care. To accomplish quality care, it is crucial for health care professionals to collaborate and work together as a team. It is common to see health care providers such as nurses, doctors, therapists, and pharmacists working together to care for a patient. Physical therapists (PTs) and nurses work closely together to help their patient’s restore their optimal level of physical functioning. Although PTs and nurses collaborate frequently, their roles and values have similarities and differences. Gavin Weber, a physical therapist, was

Like nurses, PTs can work in many different settings such as hospitals, clinics, home health agencies, schools, nursing homes, and many more (Gardner, 2003). PTs also assess individuals with health problems to formulate a plan of care. Weber explained that examining patients as a PT is similar to the role of a nurse, but the difference is that PTs can diagnosis individuals whereas nurses cannot. He also states that this is due to the differences in education, where a PT needs a doctorates degree and a nurse needs a bachelor. PTs also focus on the physical aspect of an individual’s recovery such as restoring function and preventing disability (Gardner, 2003). Although nurses care for a patient’s physical well-being, they also focus on emotional, cognitive, social, and spiritual needs (Nursing Role, n.d). In addition, nurses and PTs share similar code of

Weber was asked to talk about a time when he encountered an ethical dilemma with a patient. He explained one instance was with a patient whose Medicare benefits only paid for a certain amount of days. This patient’s injury required a longer duration of therapy, but could not pay for it due to insurance issues. Weber said this is a situation he sees a lot of patient’s in, and can be very difficult to cope with because he said the soul purpose of his job is to help people. A way he deals with these situations is to make the most out of the time he has with patients. Education is a big tool he uses by teaching patients at home exercises for them to utilize once their benefits are up. Similarly, Robert Richardson (2015) explains that insurance companies can make it challenging for PTs to uphold core values and follow the code of ethics. This in turn creates ethical dilemmas when patients need extensive therapy but cannot afford it. Nurses face similar ethical dilemmas, but can also face challenges such as a patient refusing life saving