Intra-Professional Collaborative Practice among Nurses

A tool to assist with comparing your organization’s current practice with evidence-based RNAO best practice recommendations.

Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (2016) Gap Analysis-Intra-professional Collaborative Practice Among Nurses. Toronto. ON

The website of the College of Nurses of Ontario provides Information about the requirements and process of becoming a Registered Nurse, Registered Practical Nurse and Nurse Practitioner practising within Ontario for Ontario applicants, Canadian Applicants, International applicants and for nurses to enter CNO's Extended Class.

Reference: College of Nurses of Ontario (nd). Become a Nurse. Retrieved from http://cno.org/en/become-a-nurse/

CNA is the national professional voice of registered nurses in Canada. Representing nearly 139,000 registered nurses, CNA’s members include:

• Provincial and territorial nursing associations and colleges
• Independent RNs from Ontario and Quebec
• Retired nurses
• Canadian Nursing Students’ Association
• Canadian Network of Nursing Specialties

See more at: https://www.cna-aiic.ca/en/about-cna#sthash.H3OkfPpZ.dpuf  

Reference: Canadian Nurses Association Website: https://www.cna-aiic.ca/en/about-cna

There are nurse mentors throughout Canada who support and assist aspiring nurses through the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) Certification Mentorship Program. Nurse mentors have current CNA certification and at least three years of experience in a nursing specialty. The toolkit offers guidance for the process.

This document is a statement of the ethical values of registered nurses and nurse practitioners. The new edition contains new and updated content that reflects the contemporary practice needs of nurses such as MAID, advanced care planning and primary care to mention a few. It is designed to inform everyone about the ethical values, subsequent responsibilities and endeavours of nurses. Included is updated nursing models and advocating healthy work environments. It is also a regulatory tool.

Copyright ©, Canadian Nurses Association, 50 Driveway, Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 1E2 CANADA, 2018 all rights reserved - See more at: https://cna-aiic.ca/en/terms-and-conditions-of-use#sthash.fcbIaPZC.dpuf

College of Nurses of Ontario- Code of Conduct for Nurses is a guide to support nurses with the professional practice standards by providing detailed guidance nurses require for safe and ethical care. The website includes information, the guiding document and related video. 

Reference: College of Nurses of Ontario. Code of Conduct for Nurses. Page last reviewed June 28, 2023

Retrieved from: https://www.cno.org/en/protect-public/code-of-conduct-for-nurses/

This paper is designed to serve as a best practices resource to healthcare leaders who are considering integration of conflict engagement training and professional development in their organizations. The focus is on common language training, cognitive maps for making sense of conflict, skill building, and follow up coaching.

Reference: Emerging Health Care Communities (EHCCO). (2010). Conflict Engagement Training for Health Professionals: Recommendations for Creating Conflict Competent Organizations. A White Paper for Healthcare and Dispute Resolution Professionals. http://www.ihi.org/resources/Pages/Tools/ConflictEngagementTrainingforHealthProfessionals.aspx

The article emphasises the importance of ensuring student nurses are provided with optimum learning environments. Strategies such as having prepared mentors to assist with the learning journey are identified as being a key strategy to overcome negative barriers.

Reference: Emanuel V, Pryce-Miller M (2013) Creating supportive environments for students. Nursing Times; 109: 37, 18-20. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/257761262_Creating_supportive_environments_for_students

Les présentes lignes directrices sur les pratiques exemplaires, Développement et maintien des soins de santé interprofessionnels : optimisation des résultats pour le patient/client, l’organisme et le système sont conçues pour favoriser des milieux de travail sains. Les présentes lignes directrices déterminent les pratiques exemplaires pour faciliter, améliorer et maintenir le travail d’équipe ainsi que la collaboration interprofessionnelle, et pour accroître les résultats positifs pour les patients/clients, les systèmes et les organisations.

Ce travail est financé par le Ministère de la Santé et des Soins de longue durée d'Ontario.

The article provides scripts healthcare leaders can use when addressing unprofessional behaviours. Eight common disruptive situations are provided followed with scripts on how to handle them.

This framework seeks to promote a common understanding of RN practice among nurses, students and stakeholders in Canada (including other health professionals, employers, educators, policy-makers and the public).

Reference: Canadian Nurses Association. (2015). Framework for the Practice of Registered Nurses in Canada. Retrieved August 4,2016, from http://www.cna-aiic.ca/~/media/cna/page-content/pdf-en/framework-for-the-pracice-of-registered-nurses-in-canada

Each of RNAO’s interest groups represents a unique specialty or population within the nursing spectrum. Together they illustrate the remarkable diversity of the profession. They offer a range of professional resources and support, both personal and sometimes financial, through bursaries and awards.The Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) offers many money-saving benefits that can more than offset your membership fees. RNAO members benefit from membership in a variety of ways.Through conferences, institutes, interest groups, online communities and chapter activities, RNAO provides knowledge-rich, exclusive networking opportunities for members to cultivate rewarding personal and professional relationships.

Reference: Registered Nurses Association of Ontario. Special Interest Group. Toronto, ON, Canada. http://rnao.ca/connect/interest-groups  

A series of 2-minute videos promoting kindness in the workplace by Renee Thompson. The focus is on helping people to be kind, cope and care with the challenges of the workplace.

Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTH__8E6tFs&list=PLuKRMTFug55Hq1vym6T25ocnobKlKKZQl
 

This document defines scope of practice for regulated health professional, outlines controlled acts and identifies who is appropriate to perform controlled acts.

Reference: College of Nurses of Ontario Practice Reference document. (2014). Legislation and Regulation RHPA: Scope of Practice, Controlled Acts Model Retrieved from: https://www.cno.org/globalassets/docs/policy/41052_rhpascope.pdf

The National League for Nursing supports nurse faculty and leaders in nursing education in the US. It contains teaching resources and promotes the use of simulation as a teaching strategy.

Reference: National League for Nursing Website: http://www.nln.org/home

Renee Thompson Registered Nurse, has a series of short videos on nurse bullying with practical strategies for addressing nurse bullying and behaviour change for a healthy workplace.
Reference: Thompson, R (2021). Nurse Bullying: Coffee and Conversation. [Videos.] Healthy Workforce Institute.

Retrieved from: https://healthyworkforceinstitute.com/coffee-and-conversation-videos/

This CNO Practice Standard outlines the nursing practice expectations for all Nurse Practitioners (NPs). The College of Nurses establishes standards of nursing practice to protect the public interest. NP practice is grounded in the values, knowledge and theories of professional nursing practice.

Reference: College of Nurses of Ontario Practice Standard (2016) Nurse Practitioner. Retrieved from https://www.cno.org/globalassets/docs/prac/41038_strdrnec.pdf

As leaders of unregulated health staff, nurses may wish to direct personal support workers to the OPSWA website. OPSWA provides access to information, resources and tools to help PSWs do their job better, with more confidence.

Website: https://ontariopswassociation.com/

The Preceptor Education Program is an online interprofessional program that consists of nine interactive learning modules. The modules include downloadable resources, learning exercises, video case scenarios and references. Learning is self-directed in that modules are self-directed and do not need to be completed in any particular order. Many of the modules are designed so that preceptors and students can work through them together. After completing a reflective note, a certificate can be printed at the end of each module to record the education completed.

Reference: Kinsella, E.A., Bossers, A., Ferguson, K., Jenkins, K., Bezzina, M.B., MacPhail, A., Moosa, T., Schurr, S., Whitehead, J. & Hobson, S. (2016). Preceptor Education Program for health professionals and students. (2nd ed.) London, ON: The University of Western Ontario. Retrieved from: www.preceptor.ca

The Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) is the professional association representing registered nurses, nurse practitioners and nursing students in Ontario. The site provides information about membership, best practice guidelines, policy/political action and events.

Reference: Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO) Website: http://rnao.ca/

For the purpose of this document, Interprofessional is defined as: Multiple health disciplines with diverse knowledge and skills who share an integrated set of goals and who utilize interdependent collaboration that involves communication, sharing of knowledge and coordination of services to provide services to patients/clients and their care-giving systems.

This best practice guideline, Developing and Sustaining Interprofessional Health Care: Optimizing patients/clients, organizational, and system outcomes is intended to foster healthy work environments. The focus in developing this guideline was identifying attributes of interprofessional care that will optimize quality outcomes for patients/clients, providers, teams, the organization and the system.

This guideline identifies best practices to enable, enhance and sustain teamwork and interprofessional collaboration, and to enhance positive outcomes for patients/clients, systems and organizations. It is based on the best available evidence; where evidence was limited, the recommendations were based on the consensus of expert opinion.

Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario. (2013). Developing and Sustaining Interprofessional health care. Toronto, ON: http://rnao.ca/bpg/guidelines/interprofessional-team-work-healthcare

This guideline provides evidence-based recommendations for RNs and RPNs on best nursing practices for developing and sustaining effective staffing and workload practices. When effective staffing and workload practices are not followed the risk for conflict within teams increases. Learn how the decision making process must ensure that appropriate structures and supports are in place to maximize the nursing effort resulting in the best possible care and positive outcomes for the patients/clients, nursing personnel, and the organization

Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario. (2017, ). Developing and Sustaining Effective Staffing and Workload Practices. Toronto, ON,  Retrieved from: http://rnao.ca/bpg/guidelines/developing-and-sustaining-effective-staffing-and-workload-practices.

The purpose of this Guideline is to provide evidence-based recommendations that promote and sustain the undergraduate nursing student’s application of knowledge to practice in a variety of clinical learning environments. The Guideline explores the relationships among and between students and nursing educators, nursing staff, preceptors, and diverse health-care team members, and it considers their influence on the quality of practice education, professional socialization, and nursing excellence.

Reference: Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (2016). Practice Education in Nursing. Toronto, ON, Canada: http://rnao.ca/bpg/guidelines/practice-education-nursing

Learn to identify professional practices that enhance outcomes for nurses, the recipients of nursing services, organizations and systems.

Through implementation of this guideline, you will learn:

• To identify the organizational culture, values and relationships and the structures and processes required for developing and sustaining effective professional practices
• Professional practice involves structures and processes needed to achieve outcomes.

Ensuring professional practice standards involves being accountable to your workplace for your actions and the implementation of a high ethical standard. Through translating knowledge into action, professional practice standards are met.

This guideline provides evidence-based recommendations for RNs and RPNs on best nursing practices for professionalism in nursing.

Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario. (2007). Professionalism in nursing. Toronto, ON, Canada: Author. Retrieved from: http://rnao.ca/bpg/guidelines/professionalism-nursing