BLOG: INTRA- AND INTERDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATION

INTRODUCTION

As a DNP-prepared nurse, it is highly likely that you will engage in intraprofessional and interprofessional collaboration with your colleagues. In fact, you may find that you already engage in such professional collaborations on a daily basis. In the modern healthcare delivery system, team-based approaches are typical. Through teamwork and collaboration, healthcare professionals develop treatment plans that not only address patients’ needs but also foster long-term, positive patient outcomes. This week, you will examine intradisciplinary and interdisciplinary collaboration in nursing practice and consider the challenges and opportunities they present. 

Additionally, you are probably familiar with the term 
community of practice. But what exactly is a community of practice, and how do you become part of one? A community of practice is a group of people that share a common concern, a set of problems, or an interest in a topic and who come together to fulfill both individual and group goals (Edmonton Regional Learning Consortium, n.d.). For example, a community of practice might relate to a specific population such as children or older adults, or a specific setting such as the Salvation Army or the local food kitchen. As a DNP prepared nurse, you will likely belong to multiple communities of practice above and beyond the organization for which you work. Your academic preparation, and your ability to understand and engage in evidence-based practice, will position you to lead and transform your communities of practice. How do you envision yourself contributing to your future communities of practice to improve health outcomes and catalyze positive social change?

Reference

Edmonton Regional Learning Consortium. (n.d.). 
Creating communities of practice: What is a community of practice? [Multimedia].

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Students will:

· Assess challenges and opportunities of intradisciplinary and interdisciplinary collaboration in nursing practice 

· Evaluate needs, challenges, and issues associated with a community of practice 

· Recommend practice changes to address needs, challenges, or issues facing a community of practice 

· Evaluate alignment between 
The Essentials and practice changes to address needs, challenges, or issues facing a community of practice

BLOG: INTRA- AND INTERDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATION

Imagine that you are a DNP-prepared nurse responsible for overseeing a large intensive care unit (ICU). You have noticed that in the past three months, the number of nosocomial, or hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), has dramatically increased among patients who have undergone cardiovascular procedures. You would like to initiate a practice study to determine the source of these HAIs and to improve patient outcomes in your ICU. 

What types of intra- and interdisciplinary collaboration might be needed to support the goals of this practice study? 

One example of intra-disciplinary collaboration is that you might meet with the nursing manager in charge of your unit and ask to set up a brainstorming session with the nurses on the unit to explore their perceptions of why the HAIs have increased among patients who have undergone cardiovascular procedures. An example of interdisciplinary
 collaboration is that you might team up with an infection prevention specialist (who may be a PhD-prepared nurse or PhD-credentialed healthcare professional) who can address the problem from an alternative perspective. These are just two of many potential intra- and interprofessional collaborations that may take place in an advanced nursing practice situation like this. Keep in mind that when intra- and interprofessional colleagues work together toward a shared, patient-centric goal, both the quality and cost of the care delivered will be optimized (Johnson & Johnson, 2016). 

Reference: 

Johnson & Johnson. (2023, September 10). Nursing: The importance of interprofessional collaboration in healthcare.

TO PREPARE:

· Review this week’s Learning Resources, paying special attention to the various strategies mentioned to foster intra- and interdisciplinary collaboration in nursing practice.

· Reflect on your own previous professional experiences with intra- and interdisciplinary collaboration.

· Consider the various intra- and interprofessional individuals and groups with whom you worked and the ways in which you interacted.

· Choose 
one specific challenge you faced and reflect on how you and your colleagues overcame it.

· Choose 
one specific opportunity you faced and reflect on how you and your colleagues embraced it.

Note: Be sure to review the grading rubric for this Blog so you fully understand what is expected of you. To access the rubric, click on the three dots that appear at the upper right of the Blog assignment page, then choose 
Show Rubric.

Address the following in your Blog entry:

· Describe 
one relevant professional experience you have had with intra- and interdisciplinary collaboration.

· Describe the various intra- and interprofessional individuals and groups with whom you worked and the ways in which you interacted.

· Describe
 one specific challenge you faced and explain how you and your colleagues overcame it. Be specific.

· Describe
 one opportunity you faced and explain how you and your colleagues embraced it. Be specific.