There are, of course, many individuals besides nurses that are essential parts of medical teams when it comes to providing effective and efficient care to patients. General practitioners (GPs) are primarily tasked with determining diagnoses and developing treatment plans for their patients, and with coordinating the efforts of the rest of the medical team (Thomas & Corney 1993). Specialists such as dieticians, diabetes educators, and physicians that practice in highly specialized fields all have their own niches that most patients require service in at some point in their lives. Nurses can support all of these roles without assuming them themselves.
From a nursing perspective, teamwork in the provision of medical services and overall patient care is heavily predicated upon mutual respect amongst the team members and acknowledgement of the competencies and skills brought to the group by each team member (Thomas & Corney 1993). Teams function most effectively when the individual roles in these teams are well-defined and well-understood, yet when communication between these roles is also facilitated with grace and ease and is not limited to the specific functions of each team member (Thomas & Corney 1993). That is, nursing advice to physicians and vice versa should be accomplished without conflict in a well-functioning team despite the division of their roles and tasks within the framework of that team (Thomas & Corney 1993)....
In order to promote this type of effective and efficient teamwork, which has great benefits not only for the team members but also for the patients being serviced by the team, nurses first must remove their own egos from interpersonal issues that may arise and should attempt to approach other team members with the same observational skills and sensitivities that it is expected they bring to their patients (Thomas & Corney 1993).
Effective nursing practice provides far more than medical support for the determinations and decisions of physicians. Nurses are often the primary providers of medical care and are also tasked with addressing the overall human concerns and needs of their patients. Living up to this duty of care leads to patients whose quality of life will almost invariably improve, regardless of the progression of their symptoms or conditions.
References
ANMC. (2006). "National competency standards for the registered nurse."
Goliath. (2007). "Don't neglect the nurse's duty of care: Nurses serve as advocates for their patients." Accessed 21 October 2010. http://goliath.ecnext.com/coms2/gi_0199-7218514/Don-t-neglect-the-nurse.html
Thomas, R. & Corney, R. (1993). "Teamwork in primary care: The practice nurse perspective." Journal of interprofesssional care 7(1), pp. 47-55. Accessed 21 October 2010. http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109/13561829309014958?journalCode=jic
