The importance of nursing values in interprofessional collaboration

Abstract

Nursing values are fundamental to the practice of nursing. They guide standards for action, provide a framework for evaluating behaviour and influence practice decisions. Despite the importance that can be attributed to nursing values, acknowledgement of them is difficult to find in the current debate about how interprofessional working is changing the healthcare system in which nurses currently work. This article argues that the profession needs to demonstrate that values are not only a theoretical concept but also that they can, and do, have a profound impact on the practical working life of nurses delivering care in collaboration with other professions.

Nursing emotion work and interprofessional collaboration in general internal medicine wards: a qualitative study

“…Holistic nursing practice places a premium on information concerning the patient’s broader emotional context, as well as nurses’ reflections on care (Kenny 2002). During nursing rounds, information concerning the extent of family support or whether the patient paced anxiously at night was highlighted alongside diagnoses, test results, and medication.…”

“…Importantly, it also includes altruistically motivated vocational drives, and subjective feelings concerning engaged and authentic practice (Bolton 2000, Henderson 2001, McClure & Murphy 2007). Emotion work activities are fundamental to holistic nursing practice which emphasizes a patient’s broader emotional context, and reflexive practice (Kenny 2002).…”

“…The importance of nurses engaging collaboratively with other professionals in order to provide high quality patient care has been recognized in government agendas and nursing practice guidelines throughout the Western world (Kenny 2002, McQueen 2004, Pollard et al. 2005, Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario 2006; Enhancing Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Primary Health Care Initiative 2007).…”

Social and healthcare staff’s self-reported simulation learning needs in small and middle-sized enterprises

“…[17,18] Collaboration between professionals is only possible if the various professional groups take each other in consideration and commit themselves to sharing knowledge and, when necessary for the optimum client service, to crossing traditional organizational boundaries. [8,37] Lacking interaction and information flow among social and healthcare staff has been found to be a hindrance to holistic encounters with clients. [38] It could be suggested based on the results of this study that simulation-based coaching could help enhance commitment to multiprofessional collaboration by creating a common language for the participants through dialogical learning.…”

Relational and embodied knowing: Nursing ethics within the interprofessional team

“…15 In order for nurses to effectively permeate and reach across disciplinary boundaries to learn, teach, and work together with other disciplines, they must first have a firm grasp of their own sense of professional identity that is derived from a shared disciplinary value base. 16 In fact, as the emphasis on interprofessionalism continues to grow, nurses should be able to demonstrate the significance of their unique perspective for different realms in the health care arena, [16][17][18] including those of ethics and moral reasoning.…”