Communication is an essential piece of caring for patients. Multiple team members will collaborate when providing patient care. It is crucial that critical information is included in the numerous hand-offs that will occur. A lack of communication will definitely put the patient at an increased risk for errors and threaten patient safety. It is essential to include all members of the team. This communication process needs to include both licensed and unlicensed staff to ensure the highest quality of care. This was reinforced within my article.
The article I chose was Interdisciplinary Communication and Collaboration Among Physicians, Nurses, and Unlicensed Assistive Personnel by Lancaster, Kolakowsky-Hayner, Kovacich, & Greer-Williams (2015). It revealed that most of the time physicians, nurses, and unlicensed assistive personnel (UAP) operate as separate healthcare providers who barely speak to each other (Lancaster et al., 2015). A qualitative study was performed which involved interviews of physicians,
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All members must be educated on the different roles and functions of all positions. Tensions, misunderstandings, and conflicts caused by differences of opinions and interests can interfere with effective interdisciplinary communications (Lancaster et al., 2015). While this study was performed in a hospital setting, I wonder if the results would be the same in a clinic? It is not unusual for a physician or an APRN in a clinic to only have a UAP working with them. As patient loads are increasing and providers have less time to interact with the patient, it is essential to include all feedback from the UAP. As I pursue my career as an APRN, it is vital to build a level of trust and camaraderie with co-workers regardless of their job title. Communication is the key to providing excellent care to the