Opportunities Identified

The Master’s Round Table projects were able to find several common links despite the diversity of the projects.  The projects identified opportunities such as; breaking down of barriers in many areas, validation of clinical practices throughout the facility, and the importance of nurse-led healthcare team.  These projects allowed many barriers to be broken and to see beyond the scope of individual practice.  Collaborating and networking outside each specialty allowed opportunities to avoid pitfalls, gain insight, and create professional bonds as nurses.  The projects created stronger bonds between nurses and physicians, emphasizing the importance of good communication while the patient is hospitalized, and along the entire healthcare continuum.  The projects demonstrated that removing barriers between the staff, patients and the community created relationships that improved the patient’s hospitalization and continued wellness.  Due to its location, the facility may not always be viewed as “cutting edge” but these projects validated many of the practices currently in place.  Through development and utilization of Evidence Based Practice projects (EBP) the projects demonstrate the provision of excellent, up-to-date, and evidence driven care is achievable.  The projects provided opportunities to identify the facility’s highly skilled and qualified nursing staff.  Lastly, nursing must lead the healthcare team to have the best possible patient outcomes.  Nursing is at the core of communication with patients, families, and other members of the healthcare team.  While the physician traditionally is the “Captain of the Ship”, without a nurse-led healthcare team, the ship has no rudder.  The collaboration of interdisciplinary teams is crucial to patient safety, satisfaction and implementation of care plans and goals.