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2.5.4 Readiness for inter-professional practice Cheat Sheet (DRAFT) by

This is a draft cheat sheet. It is a work in progress and is not finished yet.

Inter‐­pro­fes­sional learning

Inter-­­‐p­rof­ess­ional Learning or Inter-­­‐p­rof­ess­ional Education occurs when two or more profes­sions learn with, from and about each other to improve collab­oration and the quality of care.
Collab­oration occurs when two or more indivi­duals from different backgr­ounds with comple­mentary skills interact to create a shared unders­tanding that none had previously possessed or could have come to on their own.

The need for Inter-­Pro­fes­sional Practice

The majority of cancer patients see more than 28 different health profes­sionals within the first 12 months of diagnosis.
If these health profes­sionals all use different termin­ology, had limited unders­tanding of one another’s roles, and were not working towards common goals that involved decision making with the patient, this could lead to unnece­ssary confusion, frustr­ation, uncert­ainty, and feelings of helple­ssness.
Patients have more access to inform­ation than ever before, however most do not know how to establish what is credible inform­ation on their own.
As health profes­sionals we must be aware of one another’s skills and expertise, we need to understand common termin­ology and ensure other health profes­sionals understand our discipline of Radiation Therapy.
Patients will often raise concerns that may not be related to their Radiation Therapy specif­ically, however they feel a sense of trust and unders­tanding with the RT as they have seen them everyday. In these situations a sound knowledge of inter-­­‐p­rof­ess­ional practice is valuable.
6 inter­­‐pr­ofe­ssional learning domains:
1.TEAMWORK
2.Roles and respon­sib­ilities
3.Comm­uni­cation
4.Learning and critical reflection
5.Rela­tio­nships with and recogn­ising the needs of the patient
6.Ethical practice

Teamwork in the health care setting

Breakdown in commun­ication or a lack of teamwork can contribute to adverse patient outcomes.
Clinical inform­ation and the transfer of profes­sional respon­sib­ility and accoun­tab­ility for some or all aspects of care for a patient, or group of patients, to another person or profes­sional group on a temporary or permanent basis is a critical process to patient safety.
Teamwork and effective commun­ication is essential to achieve safe quality and intended clinical outcomes.
The nature of teams is varied and complex, they include:
1.Teams that draw from a single profes­sional group;
2.Mult­i-­­‐pr­ofe­ssional teams;
3.Teams that work closely together in one place;
4.Teams that are geogra­phi­cally distri­buted;
5.Teams with constant member­ship; and
6.Teams with constantly changing member­ship.
Regardless of the type and nature of the team they can be said to share certain charac­ter­istics. These include:
Team members have specific roles and interact together to achieve a common goal;
Teams make decisions;
Teams possess specia­lized knowledge and skills and often function under conditions of high workloads;
Teams differ from small groups in as much as they embody a collective action arising out of task interd­epe­ndency.
There are many types of teams in health­care.
Roles of indivi­duals on the team are often flexible and opport­unistic such as the leadership changing depending on the required expertise, time available and clinical workloads or the RT or nurse taking on the patient education role, as they are the ones that have the most patient contact.
In support of patien­t-­­centred care and patient safety, the patient and their carer’s are increa­singly being considered as active members of the health­-­care team.
Engaging the patient as a team member can improve the safety and quality of their care as they are a valued inform­ation source being the only member of the team who is present at all times during their care.
Six simple charac­ter­istics that underpin effective health-­ care teams:
1. Common purpose -­ Team members generate a common and clearly defined purpose that includes collective interests and demons­trates shared ownership.
2. Measurable goals -­ Teams set goals that are measurable and focused on the team’s task.
3. Effective leadership -­ Teams require effective leadership that set and maintain struct­ures, manage conflict, listen to members and trust and support members
4. Effective commun­ication -­Good teams share ideas and inform­ation quickly and regularly, keep electronic records as well as allow time for team reflec­tion.
5. Good cohesion -­ Cohesive teams have a unique and identi­fiable team spirit and commitment and have greater longevity, as teams members want to continue working together.
6. Mutual respect -­ Effective teams have members who respect the talents and beliefs of each person in addition to their profes­sional contri­but­ions.