Collaboration and Leadership Reflection
Collaboration is one of the most valuable actions that has ever occurred in the healthcare field. An interdisciplinary team providing diverse aspects of care is required to achieve the goals of patient care. However, the collaboration may not go as planned, necessitating a plan of action to smooth things out in the future. The realization that things may not go as planned ushers in the concept of reflection, in which team members examine what went wrong and the actions or behaviors that led to the wrongdoings (Coward, 2018).
Thus, reflection is an important component of practice and is key to building interprofessional competence. Find a reflective analysis of how collaboration failed in the implementation of electronic health records, as well as a proposal for better ways to facilitate collaboration below.
Reflection on an Interdisciplinary Collaboration
Clarion Court Skilled Nursing Facility is part of Villa Health Network. The facility currently has an outdated health record system that is held together with duct tape and baling wire, and it is considering upgrading it by implementing an electronic health record (EHR) system.
First, the decision to upgrade the system is a positive thought, as it aligns with the current wave of technology revolutionizing the healthcare system. Furthermore, as supported by several studies on the effectiveness of EHR, the new EHR system would ensure improved quality of care, patient outcomes, and safety.
However, the implementation did not go as planned due to several setbacks encountered along the way. The facility was not permitted to exercise its autonomy in selecting the type of EHR that best met its needs; instead, the Villa Health Network provided them with the option of Healthix due to their mutual relationship with the company. This resulted in a difficult implementation process because Healthix is an EHR designed for large-capacity hospitals, not skilled nursing facilities like Clarion Court.
In addition, the Villa Health Network sent Josh, who served as the implementation coach. Since Josh is an external person who traveled from Baltimore and was not cognizant of the situation at Clarion Court, this decision jeopardized the entire implementation process. Successful implementation could not be realized due to his dictatorial attitude and pride in not listening to the suggestions of the local workers at Clarion Court.
According to Elise Wang, the director of operations, the IT guys went on a go-slow strike in response to Josh’s harassment. The nurses at Clarion Court appear to have a Luddite attitude, as evidenced by their harsh criticism of computer use. Most of them are accustomed to traditional paper-based documentation, which has flaws such as paper loss and is vulnerable to damage from events such as fire.
Furthermore, the training on the new EHR was insufficient, as Shonda McCrae describes it as “a couple of hours of half-assed training.” If only all of the change management processes had been followed to the letter, the problems could have been avoided. If the staff organizes a conference to reflect on what went wrong and the actions of each team member that worsened the situation, solutions that would improve future implementation would be arrived at. A reflection, in addition to providing reasons for and causes of each person’s behavior, provides opportunities to examine the roles team members played in a given situation and how the team could have worked more effectively.
Ways Poor Collaboration can result in Inefficient Management of Human and Financial Resources.
Collaboration necessitates the contributions of a diverse group of professionals. Team members gather to share ideas and work together on achieving their objectives. Poor collaboration would thus result in dreadful circumstances, including patient care jeopardy, emotional strain on care providers, and financial losses. As seen in the Villa Health Network scenario, Josh exercises dictatorial leadership and dismisses his colleagues’ opinions.
As a result, Clarion Court’s tech-savvy members go on strike and fail to give their all during the implementation process. This exemplifies how poor collaboration leads to ineffective human resource management. Poor collaborative practices, as supported by Atmadja et al. (2021), have a negative impact on morale and motivation to perform duties, resulting in a less productive workforce.
In terms of finances, the Villa Health Network also forces Clarion Court to keep costs low and profits consistent. This is not possible, however, because the EHR chosen does not meet their needs and may result in financial waste in its implementation and maintenance.
Employees’ allegiance and commitment to the organization decline when they do not feel heard and respected, which may result in a higher turnover rate, forcing the hospital to operate at a loss (Frczkiewicz-Wronka et al., 2021). To avoid the consequences of poor collaboration, team members must understand each other and value each other.
Best Practice Leadership Strategy that would improve an Interdisciplinary Teams’ Ability to achieve Goals
Leadership is viewed as the organization’s engine. Decision-making in an organization can be solely the leader’s responsibility, or the leader may involve their colleagues in the process. While an authoritarian leader, such as Josh, makes decisions alone, a democratic leader seeks the advice of other team members when making decisions (Kartikasari et al., 2022). In a situation such as the Villa Health Network scenario, democratic leadership would be the best strategy for ensuring that all team members are involved in each decision-making process.
According to Kartikasari et al. (2022), democratic leadership ensures that employees are heard and motivated, which increases productivity. In a separate study, Hilton et al. (2021) state that democratic leadership allows team members to express themselves, allowing them to be authentic without feeling coerced. Aside from team success, democratic leadership will encourage personal growth, which will result in positive outcomes for the group.
Best Practice Interdisciplinary Collaboration Strategies
Multiple collaboration strategies can be used to aid in the achievement of the team’s objectives. Effective communication is, without a doubt, one of the most useful tools in matters of collaboration. In the medical field, care provider-care provider communication may include the use of medical jargon. On the other hand, patient-care provider communication must be carried out in the most unadorned manner possible to facilitate comprehension (Allen, 2021).
Furthermore, respect for each other’s opinions is a critical strategy in promoting an effective interdisciplinary team. When a team member executes their duties well, acknowledgment and recognition of the well-performed duties is an adequate strategy for maintaining their work spirit. Finally, team-building activities, such as off-site recreational activities, serve as effective collaborative practices.
Conclusion
The Villa Health Network scenario demonstrates the importance of collaboration and leadership in any organization. Both serve as the organization’s engine, and a breakdown in either jeopardizes the organization’s operations. Interdisciplinary collaboration in healthcare is achieved by a diverse group of professionals working together to achieve a common goal. The process, however, could be halted by various factors, including a leader’s attitude, a lack of funds, and a lack of appropriate choices, as demonstrated by the Clarion Court EHR implementation.
Reflecting on past actions, as in the case of Villa Health Network, provides insight into what went wrong and how to possibly smoothen a future process. It is thus recommended that nurses, who are on the front lines of healthcare delivery, always examine and learn from past experiences and actions.
References
Allen, D. (2021). Interdisciplinary leadership council: A model for excellence in improving interprofessional collaboration. Nursing Management, 52(10), 51–54. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.numa.0000792052.82959.3d
Atmadja, A. T., Saputra, K. A. K., Tama, G. M., & Paranoan, S. (2021). Influence of human resources, financial attitudes, and coordination on cooperative financial management. Journal of Asian Finance Economics and Business, 8(2), 563–570. https://doi.org/10.13106/jafeb.2021.vol8.no2.0563
Coward, M. (2018). Encouraging reflection in professional learning. Nursing Management (Harrow, London, England: 1994), 25(2), 39–42. https://doi.org/10.7748/nm.2018.e1732
Frączkiewicz-Wronka, A., Ingram, T., Szymaniec-Mlicka, K., & Tworek, P. (2021). Risk management and financial stability in the Polish public hospitals: The moderating effect of the stakeholders’ engagement in the decision-making. Risks, 9(5), 87. https://doi.org/10.3390/risks9050087
Hilton, S. K., Arkorful, H., & Martins, A. (2021). Democratic leadership and organizational performance: the moderating effect of contingent reward. Management Research Review, 44(7), 1042–1058. https://doi.org/10.1108/mrr-04-2020-0237
Kartikasari, D., Manzilati, A., & Hariyanti, T. (2022). What are the appropriate leadership styles for Class C hospital in national health insurance (JKN) era? Jurnal Kesehatan Masyarakat, 17(4), 619–624. https://journal.unnes.ac.id/nju/index.php/kemas/article/view/27111/13015
Collaboration and Leadership Reflection Instructions
- Reflect on an interdisciplinary collaboration experience, noting ways in which it was successful and unsuccessful in achieving desired outcomes.
- Identify how poor collaboration can result in inefficient management of human and financial resources, citing supporting evidence from the literature.
- Identify best-practice leadership strategies from the literature that would improve an interdisciplinary team’s ability to achieve its goals, citing at least one author from the literature.
- Identify best-practice interdisciplinary collaboration strategies to help a team achieve its goals and work together, citing the work of at least one author.
- Communicate in a professional manner, is easily audible, and uses proper grammar. Format reference list in current APA style.
- Cite at least 3 professional or scholarly sources of evidence to support the assertions you make in your video. Include additional properly cited references as necessary to support your statements.
References
Saunders, R., Singer, R., Dugmore, H., Seaman, K., & Lake, F. (2016). Nursing students’ reflections on an interprofessional placement in ambulatory care. Reflective Practice, 17(4), 393–402.
Sullivan, M., Kiovsky, R., Mason, D., Hill, C., Duke, C. (2015). Interprofessional collaboration and education. American Journal of Nursing, 115(3), 47–54.