The Importance Of Inter-Professional Practice

Inter-professional practice, in the healthcare setting, refers to the way in which we respect the roles and responsibilities of others and our own professions and collaborate and communicate with health professionals from other disciplines in order to have the best outcome possible for our patient. Studies have shown that incorporating inter-professional practice reduces the rate of error (Barclay, 2017). If we look at healthcare settings prior to the mid 20th century, it is clear that the diversity of health professionals involved in a patient’s care was significantly less than it is today. In the early 1900’s, as medical careers became more scholarly and formal, we saw the an increase in niche medical specialties and, with that, an escalation of advocating for interdisciplinary practice and collaborative patient care (Heinemann & Zeiss, 2002).

There are a many different health professions practicing alongside each other in the 21st century healthcare system. These include physicians, radiographers, administrators, occupational therapists, midwives, nurses, paramedics and psychologists. Two of these professions that that not only work alongside each other but also often undergo undergraduate study together (inter-professional learning) are nurses and paramedics. This inter-professional relationship is a
When looking at the collegial relationship between nurses and paramedics one of the most important qualities is the channels of communication used. Channels of communication refer to either verbal (ambulance radio, informal conversations and patient handovers) or non-verbal (patient charts, electronic evidence, patient notes and reports). These mediums of communication need to be utilized effectively by both nurses and paramedics to perform patient-centered duties