Collaborative and Communication Strategies
You are now in the third week of working on the Practicum Change Project. So far, you have refined your change project and chosen a change theory to organize your approach to the project.
Now, let’s begin work on week 3 of the Practicum Change Project!
This week your instructor has assigned you to seek input on the possible change from stakeholders, attend a multidisciplinary team meeting, and interview a leader from another clinical discipline.
Part I: Observation
Attend a multidisciplinary team meeting. Observe the communication skills used by the team leader and the group process. Consider the following questions as you observe the meeting:
Who served as the team leader? What leadership style did you observe?
How well did the team work together?
Was there group conflict? If so, how was it resolved?
Were there any outcomes from the group meeting?
Did you see evidence-based care or decisions during your observation?
How was nursing involved in the multidisciplinary group?
Part II: Interview
Interview a leader at least one level above your current or immediate past position from another clinical discipline (pharmacy, respiratory, case management, social work, medicine—not nursing). Ask the following questions:
How would you describe your leadership style?
What communication skills do you use?
What conflicts have you had to manage in the last 3 months?
What techniques and strategies do you use to work together to promote multidisciplinary teamwork?
Part III: Discussion
Identify ways in which you collaborated with other professionals regarding your activities.
Think about the stakeholders impacted by the change. How can the change theory you have chosen influence the success of a change project?
How can the multidisciplinary team of leaders impact the change project?
What is the best way to communicate the change within the agency?
Reference
Course Text: Effective Leadership and Management in Nursing (8th ed.)
Chapter 8, “Thinking Critically, Making Decisions, Solving Problems”
