Clinical intervention: A multidisciplinary clinical model comprised of physicians, NP’s, respiratory therapists, pharmacists, physical therapists, and social services are necessary for optimum patient outcomes. The Theory of Planned Behavior concludes that residual effects of past behavior are attenuated if measures of intention and behavior are compatible with new behaviors.  This theory is crucial when considering projects/programs that require change in behavior.

Implementation of Model: This innovative Nurse Practitioner Service requires communication among multi-disciplinary team members.   It will impact and interface with the daily care of the acute care patients. Internal influences driving the need for success of nurse practitioner managed services are collaboration with the medical team and consistent patient outcomes. Nurse practitioners are leaders which are the backbone of many institutions’s system. The team utilizes a collaborative network of nurse practitioners to ensure consistent, efficient, cost effective care to acute care patients. Paramount to this team is effective communication, mutual respect, internal and external consultation and collaboration of workload and skills.  

Innovation: This cohesive team is composed of nurse practitioners with varied backgrounds from education, research, management and administration. The team collaborates on workload distribution, time management, policies, protocols, patient care, scheduling and continuing education. The collaboration and communication is formal and informal and occurs in a continuous and ongoing manner.

 Outcomes: This model will improve patient outcomes by increasing care consistency and increasing patient satisfaction. This model has decreased cost by decreasing patient length of stay, decreasing patient complications and serves as a model for future nurse practitioner collaborative teams.