Persistent isolationist or collaborator? The nurse’s role in interprofessional collaborative practice

orchard ca . (2010) Journal of Nursing Management 18 , 248–257
 Persistent isolationist or collaborator? The nurse’s role in interprofessional collaborative practice Aim  The present study explores current understanding about interprofessional collaborative client‐centred practice and nursing’s role in this form of care delivery. Background  A profession‐only focus on nursing practice has been challenged at professional, national governmental and World Health Organization levels stressing for more interprofessional patient‐centred collaborative teamwork. Evaluation  Moving to patient‐centred collaborative practice is fraught with barriers. Enablers can result in building trust, power sharing and shared decision‐making. Changing current workplace environments requires institutional commitments to support collaborative team development. Key issue(s)  Nurses can become collaborative members of teams through: (1) re‐socialize; (2) understanding and articulating nurses roles, knowledge and skills to others; (3) other health providers sharing the same to nurses; (4) identifying where shared roles, knowledge and skills exist; and (5) learning to work in collaborative teams. Nurses must address some fundamental issues about practice that negate collaboration and patient‐centred care. Conclusions  All professionals, including nurses, must move away from a service‐oriented delivery to a patient‐centred collaborative approach to care. Implications for nursing management  The values within health organizations need to be underpinned by collaborative interprofessional patient‐centred practice. To accomplish this goal, administrators and managers must support assessment of employees and visiting physicians as to their conformance with agency established expectations for such practice.