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Learning Objective 1: 1. Identify resources to support the success of nurse-physcian quality improvement teams.
Learning Objective 2: 2. Describe a process for structuring nurse-physician collaboration around unit based quality improvement needs.
Nurse-physician collaboration is critical to quality care. Contemporary healthcare requires professionals to possess knowledge and skills about assessing and improving quality. The increasing complexity of healthcare accentuates the impact of interdisciplinary partnerships, which must be purposely fostered in students and new practitioners. Little is reported about the education or clinical outcomes of Quality Improvement (QI) programs or the training processes that facilitate effective teamwork.
This presentation describes an innovative QI training program, developed in a rural tertiary care facility, to foster effective team interactions through quality improvement projects. The curriculum combines the science of QI with teamwork and relationship-building. The hospital is used as a teaching/learning laboratory, providing real-time clinical issues and hands-on learning. Over several months, small teams are provided are provided opportunities, resources, and mentors to address clinically relevant issues
Hospital teams of nurses and physicians, formed around unit-based clinical micro-systems, collaboratively designed and conducted QI projects. Team were mentored by Clinical Champions within their micro-system and by the Project Coordinator, an expert nurse. Using a modified curriculum, teams of nursing-medical students meet monthly with nurse and physician preceptors for interdisciplinary discussions and collaborative learning activities. Students QI projects, which involved hand hygiene initiatives, were coordinated by the infection control department.
Evaluations have identified increased understandings of QI processes and attitude changes. Nurses and physicians related surprise at the complexity of the others’ responsibilities; students described the salience of quality and safety training and inter-professional relationships. Among nurses and physicians, successful teams perceived support from their respective clinical supervisors. This innovation promotes quality through collaboration for 21st century healthcare and advances a model education approach for sustaining successful interdisciplinary relationships.
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