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Community Health Issue - Vaccines

Collaborative Practice Paper

In today’s world of healthcare, collaborative efforts are in place between all members of

the healthcare team. Collaboration exists to help initiate improved outcomes for the patient in

the healthcare delivery system. Today, providers and patients work together in care. At one

time, the healthcare model was doctor dominated and solely focused on just the pathophysiology

of the patients illness, not the patient as a whole. Doctors, nurses, physical therapists, social

workers, case managers, nurse practitioners and dieticians all make up members of the

collaborative healthcare team. A joint collaborative practice among all healthcare team members

leads to continuity of care, decreased costs, quality care and patient satisfaction. Ongoing

collaboration between healthcare members results in mutual respect, trust and an appreciation of

what each individual brings to the overall goal in care of the client. (Blais & Hais, 2006). The

following case study will provide the foundation for the discussion of when collaborative care is

provided, the difference between nursing diagnosis and collaborative problems, and potential

barriers to successful collaboration.

FM is an 80 year old married Caucasian female diagnosed with congestive heart failure

(CHF). She had a longstanding history of diabetes with a right below-the-knee amputation,

coronary artery disease with stenting and valve replacement, chronic renal failure and dialysis

dependent, fibromyalgia and colon cancer that has just been discovered to have metastasized

to the spine. She is non-ambulatory due to her amputation and does not have a prosthetic. She

lives with her very supportive husband of over 40 years, who takes care of her, along with a

hired caregiver that is at the house for 12 hours a day to help FM with activities of daily living.

FM is a retired nurse who spent most of her career working...