A Reflection on Collaborative Practice: Interprofessional Working Together
A reflection on collaborative practice: interprofessional working together
A medical imaging student with bias for Diagnostic Radiography, a clinical profession within the allied health and working in the National Health Services (NHS)
Since the beginning of my programme, I have had the opportunity to work with other professions like the Surgeon in the theatre, Doctors in A & E, Orthopaedics, ICU and Adult Nurses at various wards within the multidisciplinary NHS. Although the Radiographers’ role mainly is to diagnose illness, treatment and ensure patient care by contributing to the patient treatment decision / pathway but the nurses role of advocating and devoted patient care are equally important to the interprofessional team.
My experience working with other profession especially the Adult Nurses and the Doctors, witness the existences of similarity and differences between both professions. Prominent difference noticed was boundaries between professional roles and areas of responsibilities. Thus the role of the nurse in the past could be seen as that of a handmaiden (NMC 2008) who was there to carry out the doctors’ prescriptions with little say in what happened in decision of patient pathway treatment, organisation and planning while the Doctors are seen as lead of the pack. This role of nurses must have been the role 20 years ago because nurses are taking on vital role like working in the theatre, community and even training to become advanced practitioner. Doctors have always worked closely with nurse and both share clinical ideas towards achieving a patient centred care. However, the nature of the doctor–nurse relationship is still a contentious issue (NMC 2008). Unlike the radiographer who are guided by the professional code of conduct, Doctors and Adult Nurses sought to preserve their own professional identity leading to identity confusion rather than have professional ego identity as defined by Marcia (1966) Ego-identity status theory suggested
A medical imaging student with bias for Diagnostic Radiography, a clinical profession within the allied health and working in the National Health Services (NHS)
Since the beginning of my programme, I have had the opportunity to work with other professions like the Surgeon in the theatre, Doctors in A & E, Orthopaedics, ICU and Adult Nurses at various wards within the multidisciplinary NHS. Although the Radiographers’ role mainly is to diagnose illness, treatment and ensure patient care by contributing to the patient treatment decision / pathway but the nurses role of advocating and devoted patient care are equally important to the interprofessional team.
My experience working with other profession especially the Adult Nurses and the Doctors, witness the existences of similarity and differences between both professions. Prominent difference noticed was boundaries between professional roles and areas of responsibilities. Thus the role of the nurse in the past could be seen as that of a handmaiden (NMC 2008) who was there to carry out the doctors’ prescriptions with little say in what happened in decision of patient pathway treatment, organisation and planning while the Doctors are seen as lead of the pack. This role of nurses must have been the role 20 years ago because nurses are taking on vital role like working in the theatre, community and even training to become advanced practitioner. Doctors have always worked closely with nurse and both share clinical ideas towards achieving a patient centred care. However, the nature of the doctor–nurse relationship is still a contentious issue (NMC 2008). Unlike the radiographer who are guided by the professional code of conduct, Doctors and Adult Nurses sought to preserve their own professional identity leading to identity confusion rather than have professional ego identity as defined by Marcia (1966) Ego-identity status theory suggested