Interview Summary
The interview was undertaken with an emergency ward nurse whose role was to assist healthcare specialists in dealing with the reception of patients in the casualty area to receive patients in need of immediate care. The main issue experienced in the past few months was the ambiguity in leadership, especially in cases where the roles of different specialists coincided or overlapped. In such cases, there has been experienced the confusion of roles, making it take time before the patients would be taken to the wards for stabilization before extensive treatment would be taken based on the tests run on the patients. The issue had been experienced on several occasions and required quick intervention before such a case would lead to a crisis resulting in the death of a patient. The interviewee has worked in the emergency department for over two years and stated that the issue has persisted for a long time and needed intervention. After learning about the situation, the management has tried to assign one medical practitioner at a time, but some situations require a team to ensure the safety of the patients.
Issue Identification
According to the interview, the main interdisciplinary issue identified was the role and leadership ambiguity in nursing practice. Role and leadership ambiguity is critical in nursing practice, especially when the nurses are confronted with complex conditions requiring immediate attention. Still, the healthcare team does not know where to handle the case. Such cases are experienced, especially when an unconscious patient is brought to a hospital emergency department and requires immediate medical attention. In such conditions, an interdisciplinary team must undertake all the necessary measures to identify the problem with the patient and take the necessary measures to ensure that the patient is stabilized before the actual care is provided. In addition, an interdisciplinary team is required to enhance the quality of care provided where specialists in different health care issues are involved in ensuring that all the procedures are executed in time to save the patient’s life.
We examined the healthcare records maintained in the facility and identified that the time taken from when the individual was admitted to the time the individual was attended to was high. Cases of medical errors were also slightly higher, indicating the challenges in role ambiguity. In addition, we also got some notes from the facility suggestion box with complaints about poor emergency services from the casualty department. Among the aspects outlined in the notes were delays in attending to patients and a low admission process.
Change Theories That Could Lead to an Interdisciplinary Solution
According to the identified problem, different change theories can be used to solve the situation. Among the most efficient theories that can be used in the situation are the Lippitt, Watson, and Westley planned change theory, which focuses on the nurses’ role and responsibilities as change agents (Wagner, 2018). The theory is effective in diagnosing the healthcare problem, assessing the motivation and capacity for change, assessing resources and motivations, establishing strategies and objectives, and determining the role of change (Wagner, 2018). The theory provides mechanisms for maintaining the change and development of an organizational culture based on the realized impacts of change. Such steps can effectively solve the role and leadership ambiguity in the hospital.
The other theory applicable in the facility is the innovation diffusion theory which explains how available knowledge can be used to develop a solution that can be adopted for a clinical issue. The theory gives room for the adoption or rejection of an idea if the change agent is based on the success of the change agent in dealing with the identified problem (Wagner, 2018). The theory is essential as it involves other stakeholders like policymakers responsible for developing policies in the healthcare facility.
The chaos theory can be used significantly where linear change development method delays change development. The theory is based on the best intentions and focuses on providing quick fixes that improve organizational functions (Wagner, 2018). It can be used to improve the quality of healthcare services and enhance patient care safety.
Leadership Strategies That Could Lead to an Interdisciplinary Solution
Interdisciplinary teams require leaders with unique qualities to enhance the group’s success in executing a specific task. Such leaders should apply different strategies to ensure that all parties involved are equally engaged in providing the desired solution (White et al., 2019). These leaders apply strategies like self-regulation, where the leader does not dominate all the decisions made in the team and gives other professionals their opinions. In addition, communication strategies are also critical in interdisciplinary teams to enhance the level of understanding among the professionals (White et al., 2019). A supportive team climate is also necessary for developing an effective interdisciplinary solution as all the participants feel a sense of belonging (Zajac et al., 2021). Leaders can also ensure that appropriate tools and resources are provided for the adequate performance of the team.
Collaboration Approaches for Interdisciplinary Teams
Teamwork is one of the best collaborative approaches used in an interdisciplinary team. This approach ensures that all the members from different disciplines work together for a common purpose and to attain similar set goals (Zajac et al., 2021). In addition, teams also make decisions together and share resources and responsibilities to provide successful solutions. In addition, interdisciplinary teams do not compete against each other as they have different knowledge backgrounds. Therefore, all the members should be given time to execute their services to the best of their knowledge without interference from other members (Zajac et al., 2021). Respect for professionalism is also a critical aspect of an interdisciplinary team and makes all the members feel the worth of being part of the team.
References
White, K. M., Dudley-Brown, S., & Terhaar, M. F. (Eds.). (2019). Translation of evidence into nursing and healthcare. Springer Publishing Company.
Wagner, J. (2018). Leadership and influencing change in nursing. University of Regina Press.
Zajac, S., Woods, A., Tannenbaum, S., Salas, E., & Holladay, C. L. (2021). Overcoming challenges to teamwork in healthcare: a team effectiveness framework and evidence-based guidance.Frontiers in Communication, 6, 606445.