Collaboration in Practice

In the past, nurses provided care and comfort as they carried out specific nursing functions, but changes in nursing have expanded the roles of nurses to include health promotion, illness prevention, and concern for the client as a whole. The evolving nature of the health care industry have changed the scope of nursing practice from assisting the physician and providing primary nursing care to collaborating with other professionals in different disciplines in the healthcare field. The American Nursing Association (1992) described collaboration as “a collegial working relationship with another health care provider in the provision of patient care”. Although the physician is usually considered the head of the health care team, the nurse serves an important role in coordinating the efforts of all team members in meeting the client’s goals. As a collaborator in the clinical setting, the nurse is continually involved in promoting communication among all people affected by...