COLLABORATIVE ISSUES IN NURSING

INTRODUCTION

Nursing Profession is faced with lot of complex health issues. Reasons

Technological and medical achievements. Increased Elderly Population

Increased Patients with chronic illness

Collaboration is a substantive idea repeatedly discussed in health care circles.

Though the benefits are well validated, collaboration is seldom practiced.

The complexity of collaboration and the skills required to facilitate the process are formidable. Much of the literature on collaboration describes what it should look like as an outcome, but little is written describing how to approach the developmental process of collaboration.

Effects of Collaboration (Abramson & Mizrahi 1996). Improved patient outcomes

Reduced length of stay Cost savings

Increased nursing job satisfaction and retention Improved teamwork

MEANINGThe roots of the word collaboration,

namely co-, and laborare, combine in Latin to mean “work together.” That means the interaction among two or more individuals, which can encompass a variety of actions such as communication, information sharing, coordination, cooperation, problem solving, and negotiation.

Teamwork and collaboration are often used synonymously. The description of collaboration as a dynamic process resulting from developmental group stages as an outcome, producing a synthesis of different perspectives.

The collaborative process involves a synthesis of different perspectives to better understand complex problems.

An effective collaboration is characterized by building and sustaining “win-win-win” relationships.

DEFINITION "Collaboration is the most formal inter organizational

relationship involving shared authority and responsibility for planning, implementation, and evaluation of a joint effort (Hord, 1986).

Mattessich, Murray and Monsey (2001) define collaboration as '... a mutually beneficial and well-defined relationship entered into by two or more organizations to achieve common goals.

TYPES OF COLLABORATION

InterdisciplinaryMultidisciplinaryTransdisciplinaryInter professional collaboration

NEED FOR COLLBORATIONIncreasing gap between nursing

education and nursing service.Graduate nurses often lack practical

skills despite their significant knowledge of nursing process and theory.

Clearly, a partnership between nursing educators and hospital nursing personnel is essential to meet this challenge

MODELS OF COLLABORATION

CLINCAL SCHOOL OF NURSING

MODEL (1995)

PRACTICE RESEARCH MODEL (2001)

THE COLLBORATIVE LEARNING UNIT

(BRITISH COLOUMBIA) MODEL 2005

CLINICAL SCHOOL OF NURSING MODEL

Encompasses the highest level of academic and

clinical nursing research and education.

This was the concept of visionary nurses from

both La Trobe and The Alfred Clinical School of

Nursing University.

The development of the Clinical School offers

benefits to both hospital and university.

Opportunities for exchange of ideas with

clinical nurses with increased opportunities for

clinical nursing research.

PRACTICE RESEARCH MODEL

It is an innovative collaborative partnership agreement between Fremantle Hospital and Health Service and Curtin University of Technology in Perth, Western Australia.

The partnership engages academics in the clinical setting in two formalized collaborative appointments. This partnership not only enhances communication between educational and health services, but fosters the development of nursing research and knowledge.

This model encouraged a close working relationship between registered nurses and academics, and has also facilitated strong links at the health service with the Nursing Research and Evaluation Unit, medical staff and other allied health professionals.

Key Concepts: Practice – driven research

development Collegial Partnership Collaborative Partnership and Best

Practice

KEY ELEMENTS Collaborative Partnership

The collaborative partnership was formed by nursing health professionals, from the community health service and the university who recognized the need to bridge the theory-clinical practice gap and acknowledged the futility of continuing to work in isolation from each other.

In practical terms, this involved a formal contractual arrangement between the organizations that led to the establishment of a Nurse Research Consultant (NRC) position.

ROLE OF NRC In the PRM, the role of the Nurse Research

Consultant (NRC) was articulated as that of mentor and consultant on issues related to research, methodology publications and dissemination.

Although the PRM was specifically designed to enhance nursing research activity and the implementation of evidence-based community health nursing practice, the Model also encouraged the involvement of the multi-disciplinary team to work to achieve the aims of the partnership agreement.

COLLABORATIVE CLINICAL EDUCATION EPWORTH DEAKIN (CCEED) MODEL (2003)

In an effort to improve the quality of new graduate transition, Epworth Hospital and Deakin University ran a collaborative project (2003) funded by the National Safety and Quality Council to improve the support base for new graduates while managing the quality of patient care delivery.

The Collaborative Clinical Education Epworth Deakin (CCEED) model developed to facilitate clinical learning, promote clinical scholarship and build nurse workforce capability.

Students CoachedBy Clinicians

Nursing Education Supported By

Clinical Facilitators

Clinical Facilitators are supported by Hospital

and University

CONCLUSION All the models pursue collaboration as a means

of developing trust, recognizing the equal value of stakeholders and bringing mutual benefit to both partners in order to promote high quality research, continued professional education and quality health care.

Application of these models can reduce the perceived gap between education and service in nursing there by can help in the development of competent and efficient nurses for the betterment of nursing profession.