Interdisciplinary practices enable healthcare professionals to identify evidence-based solutions to organizational and clinical issues. An interview with a former colleague, working in a large public hospital revealed the need for collaborative efforts to encourage everyone to share ideas on streamlining care practices across the continuum. The colleague works as a nurse manager in a critical care unit. Overseeing the nursing team and frontline roles allows the nursing manager to visualize trends in the healthcare sector and reforms required to maximize patient experiences.
A qualitative interview enabled the interviewee to respond to semi-structured questions. The goal was to introduce a topic and let the interview flow like a natural conversation. A list of informed and intelligent questions enhanced the objectivity of the interview. The semi-structured interview enabled me to ask questions on leadership practices, technical changes, and workforce reforms required to optimize care outcomes. The responses identified issues such as the increasing population of elderly patients with multiple chronic conditions, technological changes, and demand for holistic care. The interviewee also described workforce changes such as the need for a diverse skills mix, improved certification, and career development to empower nurses to embrace leadership roles.
The interviewee described wrong medication administration as a serious concern in the critical care unit. The issue reveals limited collaboration between physicians, nurses, and pharmacists, undermining the calls for verification, consistent oversight, and effective communication. Wrong drugs administered to patients increase morbidity and mortality risks, expose an organization to declining brand credibility, and increase the cost of health care delivery (Tsegaye et al., 2020). Interdisciplinary processes are necessary to enhance vigilance and trigger collective commitment to verifying medications and ensuring that nurses administer drugs to the right patient (Manias, 2018). Training and briefings are necessary to enable individuals to share experiences and evidence on the best ways to improve the quality and safety of patient care.
The Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycle guides the care team in initiating and implementing meaningful changes in clinical settings. The action-oriented model helps health care professionals test out change ideas and make adjustments to optimize care outcomes. McNicholas et al. (2019) encouraged health care leaders to embrace a systematic framework for pursuing action plans. The process entails planning, testing, observing results, and utilizing lessons learned to streamline clinical activities. For instance, physicians, nurses, and pharmacists can share details on the causes, implications, and reforms required to reduce medication administration errors.