Interprofessional cooperation

Abstract

This paper presents various views on interprofessional cooperation and discusses the significant components and desired outcomes of such a relationship. Historically, the nurse-doctor relationship has been fraught with conflict; however, the challenge is to dismantle this imbalanced relationship and fashion new interdisciplinary collaboration. Collaborative practice is an ongoing, dynamic process, requiring time to develop. The creation of true partnership demands energy and commitment. Collaboration, a relationship of interdependence, is built on respect and understanding of the unique and complementary perspectives each profession makes to achieve desired outcomes. The health literature abounds with issues associated with interdisciplinary collaboration. Essential elements of collaboration, advantages and barriers to collaborative affiliation, impact of collaborative practice, and changes in practice patterns among professionals of various disciplines are some of the issues highlighted. Several universities and medical centres support faculty-practice joint appointment and believe this collaborative affiliation will bridge the accountability gap and will enhance the educational and organizational goals. The problem-based learning curriculum is permeating nursing schools. This educational strategy is valuable in that students learn team collaboration. Many studies believe that practice questions can be addressed better by merging the talents of clinicians and those in the academic setting. The authors point out that research-based knowledge is essential for clinicians to solve patient care problems. Favourable outcomes to collaborative practice outweigh the barriers. No doubt there is synergism when a new partnership is created which is the hallmark of a true interprofessional relationship. This affiliation must be nurtured and reinforced, for it holds great promise for enhancement of patient care and for providing job satisfaction in an increasingly complex and constraining world of health care.