Domain: 3 Collabolative Care Flashcards
What is a Team?
A team is a group of people working together for a common purpose. A team may consist of members with similar skills, experience, and knowledge, but often includes members with different skills, knowledge, and varying levels of expertise. Team members often have skills that complement each other. This helps to contribute to the diversity and strength of the team.
The purpose of a team is to combine the knowledge, skill, and experience of team members to achieve a common goal. Each member of the team has a role to play in the achievement of the goal. If one person conducted all of the tasks required to reach the same goal as the team, it is likely that the goal would not be reached or not be achieved to the same degree as if it were completed by a team.
Teamwork is based upon trust. Trust is developed when each member:
· Commits to the plan
· Is accountable for his or her actions
· Is responsive to the needs of the team
Trends in Health Care
Trends in Health Care
Health care is in a continuous state of change. Research produces new knowledge that changes the way health care is practiced. The following list describes some of the major trends influencing health care today:
· Advances in technology – Ongoing research and developments in technology have changed the way clients are treated in hospitals. New surgical procedures have decreased hospital stays and improved ways to diagnose illness. Hospitals are also starting to adopt new technologies to maintain electronic health records and charting systems. This means that physicians’ orders, laboratory results, and nursing notes may all be recorded electronically.
· Focus on safety – Since the groundbreaking report from the Institute of Medicine was released in 1999, health care has been focusing on various communication practices that translate into a safer health environment for clients:
Communicating using clear communication strategies
Sharing client information among all health-care professionals
Managing health-care providers’ workloads
Preventing disruptions and interruptions during nursing tasks
· People are living longer – As the life expectancy of the population continues to increase, people with chronic conditions are living longer and will require more health care during their lifetimes.
· Chronic illness – People can live for many years with chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, but also experience complications that require treatment and ongoing management.
· Shorter hospital stays – Advances in technology and procedures mean that clients don’t need to be in the hospital as long as used to be the case. Once discharged from hospitals, many clients are cared for at home by their families or by community nurses and health-care staff. This helps to decrease hospital costs but increases the need for knowledgeable and experienced health-care professionals in the community.
· Cultural and ethnic diversity – The influx of immigrants from countries around the world into Canada means that health-care professionals require knowledge of a variety of cultures, their customs, and health issues that affect various ethnic groups.
· The threat of pandemic illness – The world has been exposed to new health threats such as AIDS, SARS, deadly strains of influenza, and antibiotic-resistant organisms. As these new illnesses arise, it is critical to be well-prepared in preventing the spread of organisms and infection from one person to another, and from clients to health-care professionals.
Interprofessional Collaboration
Interprofessional Collaboration
Interdisciplinary and Interprofessional collaboration are terms that are often used interchangeably. Interprofessional collaboration is defined in many ways. One definition is: when “multiple health workers from different professional backgrounds work together with patients, families, caregivers, and communities to deliver the highest quality of care” (WHO, 2010 cited in Interprofessional Collaboration).
An example of interprofessional collaboration is when a nurse, such as an RN or LPN, physical therapist, social worker, health care aide, and family come together to identify and carry out an individualized plan of care for a client to improve their health status (O’Brien, 2013). Effectiveness of interprofessional collaboration occurs when there is an understanding of each other’s roles, recognizing and understanding one’s own individual scope of practice and skill set, and finally appreciating that each member of the collaborative team has a purpose in providing quality client care and leads to the reduction of client/patient errors.
Overall goals of interprofessional collaboration are:
· Reduced patient/client errors
· Improved communication
· Lower healthcare costs
The Importance of Client and Family as Part of the health-care Team
The Importance of Client and Family as Part of the health-care Team
Members of a health-care team work together to achieve the goals of the client. It is important to include the client when setting goals for his or her health. When clients participate in their own health-care planning, they experience higher satisfaction and an improved quality of life.
The client may have views of health and values that are different from those of the health-care team. Health-care team members must put their own health beliefs and values aside and develop the plan of care with the client’s values in mind. Including the client in health-care goals allows the client to bring his or her own knowledge, experience, and skill to the health situation.
In many cases, family members are active members of the health-care team. Family members are often involved in the care of the client during a period of illness. Families hold a unique perspective because they know the client as a whole person and not as a set of health issues. Including the family in the care planning for a client reassures the client that his or her best interests are important to the health-care team.
The Goal of Teams in Health Care
The Goal of Teams in Health Care
As the face of health care changes, teams are needed to plan and provide safe, specialized, and efficient care for the client. It is internationally recognized that a comprehensive assessment of a client is required as a necessary part of the health-care provider.
Health-care clients require a team of health-care professionals to manage their health. For example, a patient with high blood pressure may need to consult with the following members of the health-care team:
· A physician for prescriptions to manage the client’s blood pressure
· A pharmacist to discuss side effects from medications
· A nurse to monitor blood pressure
· A dietician to talk about nutritional requirements and weight management strategies
· A physiotherapist to help maintain body movements
In order for the health-care team to be effective, each of the health professionals must work together and share his or her knowledge of the client’s health situation, collaborate by solving problems and making decisions, and share responsibility for the plan of care for the client to achieve the common goal of the client’s optimal level of health.
(Government of Alberta, 2013)
Benefits and Challenges of Working on a Team
Benefits and Challenges of Working on a Team
Working on a team is a skill that comes naturally to some people and must be learned by others. When working towards a common goal, it is important to understand how you can best meet the needs of the team and perform your role to the best of your abilities.
Benefits of Working on a Team
· Better decisions can be made when all members of the team share their knowledge, skills, and experience.
· Problem-solving is more effective than if one person were to attempt to solve the problem on her own.
· When team members collaborate, or work together, a positive environment is created for both the team and the client. Your knowledge of how the client manages self-care is an important contribution to the overall health and quality of life of the client.
· Sharing information about the client with the team contributes to safer client care. For example, when you share information regarding a client who is having difficulties transferring from the bed to the wheelchair, the health-care team can support you and the client by enhancing his or her exercise routine during physiotherapy, and by adding a handrail to the bed to help the client during the transfer. Withholding this information and having the client continue to transfer with difficulty from the bed to the wheelchair continues a situation in which the client may be injured.
· Communication between team members is improved when team meetings are held and unique knowledge of the client is shared. For example, if the family would like the client to eat one home-cooked meal each day, the team can decide how to accommodate this wish in a way that benefits the client and that works with the tasks of team members.
· Knowledge, experiences, and perspectives are shared with all members of the health-care team. When you, as an HCA, share knowledge about the daily care of a client, other health professionals who have less contact with the client (such as a pharmacist or dietician) gain a broader understanding of the client.
· A trusting environment is created when team members share information and work together to solve problems that promote the quality of life for the client. Team members gain a sense of trust when all members take responsibility and complete their tasks while following the plan developed by the team.
· Team members support each other during difficult times. For example, if a client’s health is deteriorating, team members are available to support not only the client and his or her family but all team members involved in the care of the client.
As much as there are benefits to teamwork in health care, there can also be challenges. Understanding the challenges can help to prepare team members for possible conflict situations and ways to work through conflict to maintain a positive environment.
Challenges to Working on a Team
· Each team member has a unique role within the boundaries that are assigned to that role. Each institution has policies and procedures that outline the parameters each team member, including the HCA, must work within. Each regulatory body outlines a scope of practice within which team members must work. It is important that each member work within their professional boundaries, and perform only those tasks that are permitted by their profession, employer job description, and facility policies.
· Team members need to be flexible to meet the overall needs of the team in meeting the client goals. If the client does not want to have a bath in the morning, then routines may have to be adjusted so that the client’s health goals can still be met. This may require rescheduling of client care, recreation activities, or meal time
Factors Affecting Decisions About Assigning Care Activities
Factors Affecting Decisions About Assigning Care Activities
There are specific factors that determine whether care activities can be assigned to an HCA.
According to the Health Professions Act (HPA), the HCA can be assigned to carry out a “restricted activity” for a client if the activity meets all of the following criteria:
· The client is medically stable, the restricted activity is part of the routine activities of daily living for that client, and the outcomes are predictable.
· The HCA is legally permitted to carry out the restricted activity.
· The HCA has the consent and supervision of the regulated nurse.
· Regulations exist that outline how a regulated professional supervises unregulated workers.
· The HCA has received instruction and demonstrates the competence to perform the restricted activity for that client.
· The client is not at risk when the HCA performs the restricted activity.
· The client and/or family have been involved in the care planning and in the assignment of the HCA to a restricted activity.
· The client is assessed on an ongoing basis by a regulated health professional.
· If the client had the ability, he or she would perform the task himself or herself.
Role and Responsibilities of the HCA during Assignment of Care Activiti
Role and Responsibilities of the HCA during Assignment of Care Activities
When taking on the assignment of restricted activities, you are contributing to the efforts of the health-care team. As a team member, you are responsible and accountable for the care you provide. Before performing any care activity or restricted activity, ensure that you consider each of the following statements:
· It is legal for me to perform the task.
· The task is in my job description.
· I have been trained to perform the task.
· I know why the task is to be completed.
· I have the experience to perform the task safely.
· The current conditions in the environment are safe for me to perform the task.
· I have the proper equipment and supplies and know how to use them.
· I am confident in performing the task.
· If I have concerns about performing the task, I will contact my supervisor.
· I understand the expectations of my supervisor in performing the task.
· I am receiving appropriate supervision for my experience with the task and the current situation.
· If I feel the situation is unsafe, or the client may be harmed, I can refuse an assigned task.
· If I do not feel competent to carry out the task, even if I have performed the task previously, I will contact my supervisor.
Positive Behaviours When Working With Colleagues and
Positive Behaviours When Working With Colleagues
When working with colleagues in collaborative care, each member brings his or her personality, skill, knowledge, and experience to meet a common goal. It is an expectation that all team members work collaboratively, even when there are differences of opinion or factors such as stress or personality conflicts come into play. Whatever the situation, there are certain behaviours and actions that help to promote a positive team experience:
· Listen to what team members are saying.
· If you are unsure of what team members are saying, ask questions to clarify the information.
· Do not interrupt team members.
· Share your knowledge of the client and the situation with other team members.
· Verify what other team members are saying.
· Include all team members in the decision-making process.
· Be flexible when making changes to the care-planning process.
· Stay focused on the overall team goals.
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Positive Behaviours When Working with Clients and Families
Clients and families are an integral part of the care-planning process. Your care and communication with the client and family help to build trust and promote a partnership with the client, family, and the whole health-care team. When you are working with clients and families, the following behaviours and actions will help to promote the client and family as part of the health-care team:
· Listen to the client’s and family’s concerns.
· Clarify and verify the information given to you by the client and family members.
· Share the information with appropriate members of the health-care team.
· Be flexible when providing care.
· Be accountable to the client. Perform client care when you say you will. If you need to make changes to the original plan, explain the situation and discuss alternate plans with your client.
Workplace Problems in Facility and Community Settings
Workplace Problems in Facility and Community Settings
There are a number of problems related to teamwork that could occur in the workplace, both in the facility and community-based settings. The HCA should be aware of potential conflict situations, anticipate client needs, and respond to all situations by listening and involving the client in solutions whenever possible and reporting all outcomes to the supervisor.
Facility Settings
In a workplace where different staff members work in a busy environment with clients with chronic conditions and their families, all of whom who are experiencing stress, it is not surprising that workplace problems may arise numerous times during each shift. These problems can be related to the following:
· Facility issues (e.g., the building is unusually cold)
· Staff issues (e.g., two staff members called in sick and there are no replacements)
· Client and family issues (e.g., one family is upset over the care a client is receiving, and another client refuses to take her medications)
Regardless of the setting or the issue, the HCA must be professional, address issues in a positive and effective manner, or refer the issue to the regulated health-care professional to be addressed. Promoting and participating in positive teamwork is everyone’s responsibility.
Community Settings
The work setting in the community is unique, as the HCA often works in a client’s home without the assistance of other staff. The HCA, the client, and family members can experience problems related to the client’s health or have questions about the care that the client is receiving. Family members often become stressed from the responsibilities related to taking care of their family member. Just as in a facility, the HCA must report problems encountered to the team or supervisor. Depending on the issue, it may only need to be documented in the client chart, or it may be something that requires contacting the supervisor by phone for immediate assistance.
What is Leadership?
Leadership
What is Leadership?
A simple definition is that leadership is the art of motivating a group of people to act towards achieving a common goal. This leadership definition captures the essentials of being able to inspire others and being prepared to do so. Effective leadership is based upon ideas (whether original or borrowed), but won’t happen unless those ideas can be communicated to others in a way that engages them enough to act as the leader wants them to act (K. Preston, Curriculum Developer, 2019).
Principles of Leadership
There are a number of definitions and theories about effective leadership in the literature. When faced with a leadership opportunity each leader chooses their unique formula of success. There are a number of “keys” to authentic leadership that cannot be ignored. Below are 10 important principles each leader should know to be an effective leader (K. Preston, Curriculum Developer, 2019).
- Always set a good example
- Know your team members and look after their welfare
- Develop the leadership potential of each team member
- Make sound and timely decisions
- Train you team members to work as a team
- Explain your ideas and thoughts clearly
- Keep you team members informed of all activities and any changes
- Lend a hand
- Know your strength and weaknesses
- Treat others as you would like to be treated
Characteristics of a Leader
Based on research, it is found that great leaders consistently possess these 10 core leadership traits:
- Determination
- Honesty
- Courage
- Patience
- Loyalty
- Confidence
- Sense of responsibility
- Decisiveness
- Dependability
- Enthusiasm
As a health care aide you need to provide leadership every day. You are a crucial member of the collaborative care team. Some or all of the characteristics identified will help you navigate your day and provide excellent person-centred care.
