Inter-professional collaboration is an essential part of the field of healthcare. Patient care strategies to produce optimal outcomes requires teamwork and collaboration. Now that you are at the end of the nursing program, you are familiar with your scope of practice, but what about the scope of practice of others who are working with you on the interdisciplinary care team? 

This paper has the aim of helping to familiarize yourself with the scope of practice of other healthcare professionals, what role they play in patient care, and how they collaborate with nurses to improve patient outcomes. Please select 2 of the professions listed and answer the below questions pertaining to their role and function on the healthcare team. The goal is to pick 2 professionals that you are not intimately familiar with. If you are (or have been) and EMT, Respiratory Therapist, or Nutritionist, don’t pick those ones.

Healthcare Professionals: 

Respiratory Therapy

Physical Therapy

Occupational Therapy

Nutritionist/Dietician

Social Work ( i want to use this one)

Pharmacists (i want to use this one)

Speech Therapy

Licensed Practical Nurse

EMT/Paramedic

Questions to answer:

What level of education was required for this professional role?

What are the basic roles and responsibilities of the different professions?

How do these professionals collaborate with nursing to assist with patient care?

What is their scope of practice? (Find on professional websites)

Reflection: In your clinical experience so far, how and when have you interacted with these inter-professional team members and what was your impression of the experience? Did what you saw in practice align with what you read about the professionals in the above questions? If they weren’t there to help care for patients, how would that affect your role and the care you provide to the patients as a nurse?