NURS FPX 4010 Assessment 2 Interview and Interdisciplinary Issue Identification

Name

Capella University

NURS-FPX 4010 Leading in Intrprof Practice

Prof. Name

Date

Interview Summary

Recently, I had an interview with the head nurse at Vila Health Clinic (VHC) to explore prevalent healthcare issues that demand interdisciplinary solutions. VHC is a diverse healthcare facility. It offers primary care, long-term care, and chronic care facilities but faces challenges in ensuring patient safety due to Medication Errors (MEs). MEs persist despite various measures being implemented to address this issue. It leads to adverse patient outcomes and increased healthcare costs. It is discussed that previous initiatives, including staff training on best practices and the implementation of error reduction protocols, have yielded limited success (Ghezeljeh et al., 2020). Consequently, there is a pressing need for a more comprehensive approach to mitigate medical errors effectively.

VHC’s organizational culture prioritizes collaboration and teamwork. It encourages Interprofessional Communication (IPC) among healthcare providers. The difficulties in communication and collaboration among different care facilities and departments result in MEs (Ghezeljeh et al., 2020). The head nurse emphasized the importance of IPC, involving doctors, pharmacists, and nurses, to address patient safety concerns effectively (Jalali et al., 2023). During the interview, I used active listening techniques to gain insights into the complexities surrounding MEs. I used questions that helped me to have a thorough understanding of interdisciplinary challenges. Moving forward, addressing MEs in hospital settings demands a structured and coordinated approach. This approach should integrate perspectives from various disciplines to enhance patient safety and optimize healthcare delivery (Xiao et al., 2020).

Issue Identification

Following the interview at VHC, the highlighted issue pertains to MEs. The majority of MEs in VHC hospital settings occur due to poor collaboration among interdisciplinary teams. It involves various healthcare disciplines, such as nursing, pharmacy, and senior doctors. It would be advantageous to address this challenge of MEs. Interdisciplinary collaboration allows healthcare disciplines to grasp the varied constituents contributing to MEs. Recent research by Manias et al. (2020), underscores the need for involvement from multiple disciplines to reduce MEs. It will be helpful to improve factors like medication administration errors, diagnostic errors, and communication breakdowns. VHC could invent a multifaceted strategy to prevent MEs by engaging a diverse team of specialists. It will thereby enhance patient well-being and the standards of care provided in the healthcare setting.

Moreover, an interdisciplinary approach facilitates the implementation of evidence-based interventions tailored to VHC’s specific needs. Studies by Naseralallah et al. (2022), emphasize the significance of multidisciplinary teamwork in implementing evidence-based practices to mitigate MEs. Through collaboration across disciplines, VHC can proficiently introduce and assess evidence-based interventions aimed at reducing MEs. Communication and cooperation among interdisciplinary teams can be enhanced through proper communication protocols among nurses and senior doctors. This approach will help mitigate the occurrence of medical errors. It leads to improved patient safety outcomes. Embracing an interdisciplinary approach to addressing MEs at VHC ensures a comprehensive understanding of the problem. The implementation of customized interventions and the cultivation of a culture centered on patient safety will raise the VHC’s reputation (Sillero & Buil, 2021).

Change Theories That Could Lead to an Interdisciplinary Solution

MEs at VHC could benefit from Kurt Lewin’s Three-Step Model as a change theory guiding interdisciplinary solutions. This model posits three stages: unfreezing, changing, and refreezing (Endrejat & Burnes, 2022). Firstly, unfreezing involves current ME-related practices by raising awareness about the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration. Secondly, the changing phase necessitates the collaborative implementation of evidence-based interventions, like incorporating Information Health Technologies (HIT) and enhancing communication channels. Finally, the refreezing stage consolidates these changes through ongoing monitoring, feedback mechanisms, and integration into the organizational culture (Salinas et al., 2019).

Lewin’s model is relevant to addressing MEs as it emphasizes creating a supportive environment for change. It involves stakeholders in implementing new technologies and promotes interdisciplinary collaboration  (Nistelrooij., 2020). The study by Endrejat and Burnes (2022), is a most valuable resource as it offers insights into Lewin’s model’s pivotal role in fostering interdisciplinary cooperation, which is crucial for dealing with complex healthcare challenges that lead to MEs. These sources, published in reputable journals within the past five years, provide credibility to the proposed approach.

Leadership Strategies That Could Lead to an Interdisciplinary Solution

A leadership technique that holds promise for mitigating MEs at VHC is Transformational Leadership (TL). TL revolves around inspiring and motivating individuals to align their aspirations with collective objectives. This leadership strategy encourages their involvement in decision-making processes and creates an environment that contributes to innovation and adaptation (Robbins & Davidhizar, 2020). Within the healthcare setting, TL can cultivate a culture of collaboration and shared accountability. It is essential for addressing the complex issue of MEs. By instilling shared values and common goals, TL can unite healthcare professionals in concerted efforts to reduce MEs and enhance the quality of patient care (Curado & Santos, 2021).

Notably, TL’s emphasis on empowerment and teamwork is particularly relevant for tackling intricate healthcare challenges such as MEs. This leadership approach creates an atmosphere where individuals feel empowered to collaborate effectively. They can pool their expertise to achieve mutual objectives (Diggele et al., 2020). The research conducted by Curado and Santos (2021), specifically addresses the issue of MEs at VHC, offering pertinent insights applicable to the clinic’s context. These scholarly sources lend credibility to the proposed leadership strategy.

Collaboration Approaches for Interdisciplinary Teams

A practical collaborative approach that could help establish or improve interdisciplinary teams to cope with MEs at VHC is the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) framework. This framework underscores the significance of preparing healthcare professionals for collaborative practice by emphasizing interprofessional education. It involves learning from the previous mistakes of healthcare professionals in VHC. Healthcare professionals can develop a deeper understanding of the complexities surrounding medication management by studying previous instances of MEs and understanding their root causes (Schot et al., 2020). This way, they can collaborate more effectively and prevent future errors.

By adopting the IPEC framework, VHC can lay the groundwork for seamless collaboration among healthcare professionals from various disciplines. This collaboration is essential for addressing MEs effectively (Lutfiyya et al., 2019). Furthermore, implementing initiatives such as regular interdisciplinary team meetings and proper handovers after shifts can enhance communication and coordination among team members. It enhances efforts to reduce MEs by enhancing communication among team members giving patients medications (Moirano et al., 2019). The study published by Schot et al. (2020), is particularly relevant as it explores the efficacy of the IPEC framework in producing interdisciplinary teams. This framework is helpful in raising collaboration among interprofessional teams to reduce the number of MEs in the hospital setting of VHC. The credibility of these sources is upheld by their recent publication in reputable journals within the last five years.

Conclusion

In conclusion, addressing MEs at VHC requires a comprehensive interdisciplinary approach involving various healthcare disciplines. This approach is guided by change theories like Kurt Lewin’s Three-Step Model and leadership strategies such as TL. Collaboration approaches like the IPEC framework can effectively mitigate MEs and improve patient safety at VHC.

References

Curado, C., & Santos, R. (2021). Transformational leadership and work performance in health care: The mediating role of job satisfaction. Leadership in Health Services, 35(2), 160–173. https://doi.org/10.1108/lhs-06-2021-0051 

Diggele, C., Roberts, C., Burgess, A., & Mellis, C. (2020). Interprofessional education: Tips for design and implementation. BMC Medical Education, 20(2), 445. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-020-02286-z 

Endrejat, P. C., & Burnes, B. (2022). Kurt Lewin’s ideas are alive! But why doesn’t anybody recognize them? Theory & Psychology, 32(6), 931–952. https://doi.org/10.1177/09593543221118652 

Ghezeljeh, T. N., Farahani, M. A., & Ladani, F. K. (2020). Factors affecting nursing error communication in intensive care units: A qualitative study. Nursing Ethics, 28(1), 131–144. https://doi.org/10.1177/0969733020952100 

Jalali, M., Dehghan, H., Habibi, E., & Nima Khakzad. (2023). Application of “Human Factor Analysis and Classification System” (HFACS) Model to the prevention of medical errors and adverse events: A systematic review. PubMed, 14, 127–127. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijpvm.ijpvm_123_22 

Lutfiyya, M. N., Chang, L. F., McGrath, C., Dana, C., & Lipsky, M. S. (2019). The state of the science of interprofessional collaborative practice: A scoping review of the patient health-related outcomes based literature published between 2010 and 2018. Plos One, 14(6), e0218578. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0218578 

Manias, E., Kusljic, S., & Wu, A. (2020). Interventions to reduce medication errors in adult medical and surgical settings: A systematic review. Therapeutic Advances in Drug Safety, 11(1), 1–29. https://doi.org/10.1177/2042098620968309 

Moirano, R., Sánchez, M. A., & Štěpánek, L. (2019). Creative interdisciplinary collaboration: A systematic literature review. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 35, 100626. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2019.100626 

NURS FPX 4010 Assessment 2 Interview and Interdisciplinary Issue Identification

Naseralallah, L., Stewart, D., Azfar Ali, R., & Paudyal, V. (2022). An umbrella review of systematic reviews on contributory factors to medication errors in healthcare settings. Expert Opinion on Drug Safety, 21(11), 1379–1399. https://doi.org/10.1080/14740338.2022.2147921 

Nistelrooij, A. van . (2020). Organisation development. Embracing Organisational Development and Change, 87–128. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-51256-9_3 

Robbins, B., & Davidhizar, R. (2020). Transformational leadership in health care today. The Health Care Manager, 39(3), 117–121. https://doi.org/10.1097/hcm.0000000000000296 

Salinas, D., Johnson, S. C., Conrardy, J. A., Adams, T. L., & Brown, J. D. (2019). Sustaining nursing grand rounds through interdisciplinary teamwork and interorganizational partnership. AJN, American Journal of Nursing, 119(4), 41–48. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.naj.0000554547.03020.a2 

Schot, E., Tummers, L., & Noordegraaf, M. (2020). Working on working together: A systematic review on how healthcare professionals contribute to interprofessional collaboration. Journal of Interprofessional Care, 34(3), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/13561820.2019.1636007 

Sillero, A. S., & Buil, N. (2021). Enhancing interprofessional collaboration in perioperative setting from the qualitative perspectives of physicians and nurses. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(20), 10775. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182010775 

Xiao, Z., Zhou, M. X., Chen, W., Yang, H., & Chi, C. (2020). If I hear you correctly: Building and evaluating interview chatbots with active listening skills. Proceedings of the 2020 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1145/3313831.3376131