Overcoming Obstacles within a Multidisciplinary Health Care Team
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When it comes to patient care, a multidisciplinary approach can be the linchpin between recovery and enduring chronic issues. However, getting your teams to work well together can sometimes be easier said than done in a fast-paced work environment. Today, we’re going to explore the top barriers therapists and nurses face when working together and how to overcome it:
- Communication.
One of the biggest reasons that nursing and therapy teams fail to work well together is because of a breakdown in communication. The language used by the various disciplines can differ, as can the interpretation of that language.
Properly training your employees is one way you can overcome this issue. If they are aware of how the other discipline communicates before they start working with them, there will be less confusion. One of the things Vertis Therapy prides itself on is the fact that we include staff development as a part of our Delivery Model.
- Role overlap.
The second barrier to nurses and therapists working effectively together is role overlap and confusion as to who is responsible for what. This lack of clarity can lead to team members stereotyping each other as a way to overcome confusion. Unfortunately, this can then lead to hostile attitudes among coworkers.
Giving your team members clear expectations on who is responsible for what is one way you can overcome this issue. This is also where it pays off to have a well-oiled process in place to ensure that patients don’t experience a lapse in care due to confusion over duties.
- Ideological differences.
Different health disciplines naturally have separate methods by which they approach patient care. While one way isn’t necessarily superior to the other, this can lead to clashes over how to best treat the patient.
As a leader, you can overcome this obstacle by setting clear goals for your team from the outset. By having a clearly defined purpose, you can encourage your team members to work with each other, rather than against. Part of our Delivery Model includes regular partnership meetings, where we address issues such as these.
If you’re looking to partner with a therapy provider for your long-term care facility, consider Vertis Therapy! Our approach ensures that we’re able to give our clients exactly what they need to achieve success.