NURS FPX 4010 Assessment 3 Interdisciplinary Plan Proposal

Name

Capella university

NURS-FPX 4010 Leading in Intrprof Practice

Prof. Name

Date

Interdisciplinary Plan Proposal

This proposal aims to provide a holistic, interdisciplinary approach to solving issues that hamper multidisciplinary collaboration in the surgical unit. The strategy will be implemented at a middle-level hospital and will be based on seamless coordination between different departments that handle patient care. The purpose of this study is to reduce delays in surgery and waiting times, smoothen communication, and enhance efficiency in relation to patients’ services within the surgical unit.

Objective

The objective of this plan is to introduce an interdisciplinary strategy within the surgical unit for better coordination among its various departments. Implementing a multidisciplinary approach in the surgical unit can reduce delays, enhance communication, and optimize the delivery of care to patients (Fazzini et al., 2022). This goal will result in more efficient surgical procedures, shorter waiting periods for patients, happier employees, and eventually improved patient results.

Questions and Predictions

• What challenges might arise during the implementation of the interdisciplinary approach, and how can they be mitigated?

Resistance to change, communication barriers, and staff training needs have arisen. Effective change management strategies can mitigate these, including clear communication of goals and benefits, ongoing training, and support, and involving employees in decision-making processes (Daniel et al., 2022).

• What resources will be required to support the implementation of the interdisciplinary approach, and how will they be allocated?

Employee training, digital platform technology infrastructure, and leadership backing will prove vital. In this case, they must be allocated wisely in terms of adequate staff training and support and investing in the necessary technology and leadership development agendas (Zhang et al., 2022).

• How will the success of the interdisciplinary approach be measured, and what are the key performance indicators (KPIs) to track progress?

One can use tracking measures that include surgical waiting lists, communication effectiveness, surveys on job satisfaction for staff members, and patient results. For example, the average surgery wait time is a key performance indicator for surgical operations, while the percentage of surgeries delayed because of communication difficulties indicates how well collaboration between staff works; furthermore, patient satisfaction scores also play a significant role (Rathnayake & Clarke, 2021).

Change Theories and Leadership Strategies

The proposed change theories and leadership strategies will help overcome resistance to change by emphasizing the benefits of interdisciplinary collaboration and providing support and guidance throughout the implementation process.

Change Theories for Interdisciplinary Solution

Different theories of change can address the identified challenges. Kotter’s 8-step change model, Lewin’s change model, and Prosci’s ADKAR change model propose structured ways to accomplish organizational changes. By using these models, stakeholders can align themselves, resistance to change may be overcome, and professionals can be equipped with skills and motivation that will help in effective interdisciplinary collaboration (Harrison et al., 2021). The ADKAR change theory, as supported by Carman et al. (2019), offers a structured approach to equip interdisciplinary teams in the surgical unit with the skills and motivation needed for effective collaboration. By addressing challenges and overcoming resistance to change, ADKAR facilitates alignment among stakeholders, ultimately reducing communication barriers and enhancing patient care outcomes.

This study conducted by Carman et al. (2019), examined the effectiveness of various theories of change in addressing issues related to interdisciplinary collaboration in rural Kentucky with an emphasis on delivering efficient patient care. The study employed Kotter’s 8-step model for implementing organizational interventions as a framework for organizing sustainable organizational interventions. Such an approach ensured that there was a step-by-step process for achieving sustainable organization development and continuous improvement of health delivery through collaborative teamwork.

Leadership Strategies for Interdisciplinary Solutions

Transitional leadership and slave management are two effective ways to change the culture of the surgical section. These types of leaders stress the need to inspire a shared vision, empower team members, and focus on their interests as primary. By using these leadership styles, medical practitioners are encouraged to be involved in interdisciplinary collaboration, thus enhancing patient outcomes (Bornman & Louw, 2023). Implementing transformational leadership in the surgical unit fosters multidisciplinary collaboration, reducing communication barriers and surgery delays. This approach, exemplified by Santoso et al. (2022), emphasizes shared vision, empowerment, and active communication, leading to improved patient outcomes.

Santoso et al. (2022) suggested approaches during the COVID-19 pandemic, like transformational leadership and good internal communication, which have also been effectively used in dealing with challenges associated with interdisciplinary collaboration. Transformational leaders fostered innovation, active involvement, and the sharing of ideas among healthcare professionals, leading to decreased delays and better interaction in patient care. In addition, promoting active communication behaviors through internal communication enhanced interdisciplinary teamwork and ultimately led to better patient outcomes.

Team Collaboration Strategy

In the dynamic environment of a surgical unit, effective collaboration strategies are paramount for overcoming communication barriers and ensuring optimal patient care. For instance, the implementation will be overseen by an interdisciplinary coordinator, who will communicate with other departments about the execution plan and schedule meetings while monitoring progress.

Department Representatives from three specialties: Surgery, Anesthesia, and Postoperative Care will attend these meetings, update others about developments in each department they represent, and establish collaboration strategies (Sillero & Buil, 2021). Additionally, a leadership sponsor, usually a high-ranking executive within the organization, will promote interdisciplinary collaboration through resource allocation and eliminate organizational barriers. To boost teamwork efficacy, collaborative approaches like TeamSTEPPS must be used. IPE sessions will endeavor to foster mutual respect and understanding among team members, while TeamSTEPPS strategies are geared toward improving communication processes, teamwork practices, and patient safety (Samardzic et al., 2020).

Interprofessional Education (IPE) is an effective way of addressing interprofessional relations problems, which is important for minimizing iatrogenic events due to delays or miscommunications. Recent research by Jayyousi et al. (2021) on health education students’ experiences in primary healthcare settings illustrates that IPE enhances teamwork among medical practitioners. For example, by promoting collaboration and clarifying professional roles, IPE enhances patient care outcomes and supports knowledge exchange among healthcare professionals, improving the quality of care delivery in healthcare settings.

Required Organizational Resources

There are specific essential requirements for the successful implementation of an interdisciplinary approach in surgical care. To start with, staffing needs include one full-time interdisciplinary coordinator who will oversee the implementation process and three part-time department representatives from surgery, anesthesia, and postoperative care, each of whom is dedicated to this project. Luckily, there is already a senior leader within the organization who has been earmarked to be the Leadership Sponsor.

Equipment and Supplies, on the other hand, require collaboration tools, software for virtual meetings, training materials for IPE sessions, and then TeamSTEPS Training resources (Diggele et al., 2020). Additionally, Electronic Health Records (EHR) systems, conference rooms, and virtual meeting platforms are already accessible to the organization. Still, more expenses will be incurred regarding collaboration tools/software or training materials for team members of the surgical department (Vos et al., 2020). Consequently, a financial budget is proposed for this plan at an annual total cost estimate of $130,000, covering staff time costs, resource use, and access charges. The hospital management requires a budget of $15K to $70K for the implementation of the EHR system and IPE. 

Impacts on Organizational Resources

The continuation of inefficiencies in interdisciplinary collaboration can lead to longer waiting times for surgeries, making the patients less satisfied and possibly having negative consequences. Also, employees feel dissatisfied with their jobs and resign due to an inability to communicate, thus necessitating the hiring of new personnel and the associated training costs. Furthermore, there could be increased liability costs from medical errors or complications arising out of poor collaboration, thereby harming the hospital’s image (Warren & Warren, 2023). According to Tsai et al. (2020), it is evident that EHR is necessary for improving collaboration, but for this, IPE is required to reduce communication gaps among interdisciplinary team members.

Conclusion

The study demonstrates the effectiveness of IPE in promoting teamwork, better patient care, and fostering interaction between professionals. Healthcare facilities can achieve positive transformation by emphasizing interdisciplinary teamwork and committing resources and strategic plans relevant to this purpose to achieve better health outcomes for patients.

References

Bornman, J., & Louw, B. (2023). Leadership development strategies in interprofessional healthcare collaboration: A rapid review. Journal of Healthcare Leadership, 15(1), 175–192. https://doi.org/10.2147/JHL.S405983 

Carman, A. L., Vanderpool, R. C., Stradtman, L. R., & Edmiston, E. A. (2019). A change-management approach to closing care gaps in a federally qualified health center: A rural kentucky case study. Preventing Chronic Disease, 16(E105). NCBI. https://doi.org/10.5888/pcd16.180589 

Daniel, K. L., McConnell, M., Schuchardt, A., & Peffer, M. E. (2022). Challenges facing interdisciplinary researchers: Findings from a professional development workshop. PLOS ONE, 17(4), e0267234. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0267234 

Diggele, C., Roberts, C., Burgess, A., & Mellis, C. (2020). Interprofessional education: Tips for design and implementation. BMC Medical Education, 20(2). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-020-02286-z 

Fazzini, B., McGinley, A., & Stewart, C. (2022). A multidisciplinary safety briefing for acutely ill and deteriorating patients: A quality improvement project. Intensive and Critical Care Nursing, 74, 103331. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iccn.2022.103331 

NURS FPX 4010 Assessment 3 Interdisciplinary Plan Proposal

Harrison, R., Fischer, S., Walpola, R. L., Chauhan, A., Babalola, T., Mears, S., & Dao, H. L. -. (2021). Where do models for change management, improvement and implementation meet? A systematic review of the applications of change management models in healthcare. Journal of Healthcare Leadership,13(13), 85–108. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7966357/ 

Jayyousi, G. F. A. -, Rahim, H. A., Hassan, D. A., & Awada, S. M. (2021). Following interprofessional education: Health education students’ experience in a primary interprofessional care setting. Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare. https://doi.org/10.2147%2FJMDH.S318110 

Rathnayake, D., & Clarke, M. (2021). The effectiveness of different patient referral systems to shorten waiting times for elective surgeries: Systematic review. BMC Health Services Research, 21(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-06140-w 

Samardzic, M. B. -, Doekhie, K. D., & Wijngaarden, J. D. H. van. (2020). Interventions to improve team effectiveness within health care: A systematic review of the past decade. Human Resources for Health, 18(1). https://human-resources-health.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12960-019-0411-3 

Santoso, N. R., Sulistyaningtyas, I. D., & Pratama, B. P. (2022). Transformational leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic: Strengthening employee engagement through internal communication. Journal of Communication Inquiry, 0(0), 019685992210951. https://doi.org/10.1177/01968599221095182 

Sillero, A. S., & Buil, N. (2021). Enhancing interprofessional collaboration in perioperative setting from the qualitative perspectives of physicians and nurses. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(20), 10775.  https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182010775 

NURS FPX 4010 Assessment 3 Interdisciplinary Plan Proposal

Tsai, C. H., Eghdam, A., Davoody, N., Wright, G., Flowerday, S., & Koch, S. (2020). Effects of electronic health record implementation and barriers to adoption and use: A scoping review and qualitative analysis of the content. Life, 10(12), 1–27. https://doi.org/10.3390/life10120327 

Vos, J. F. J., Boonstra, A., Kooistra, A., Seelen, M., & Offenbeek, M. van. (2020). The influence of electronic health record use on collaboration among medical specialties. BMC Health Services Research, 20(1), 676. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-020-05542-6 

Warren, J. L., & Warren, J. S. (2023). The case for understanding interdisciplinary relationships in health care. Ochsner Journal, 23(2), 94–97. https://doi.org/10.31486/toj.22.0111 

Zhang, J., Gorp, D. van, & Kievit, H. (2022). Digital technology and national entrepreneurship: An ecosystem perspective. The Journal of Technology Transfer. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10961-022-09934-0