RN & NP Collaboration Strategies
Moderator
🚨Let's discuss best practices for communication, mutual respect, and optimizing patient care when an RN and NP are working together.
Collaboration is paramount when registered nurses (RNs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) work together, or rather, any healthcare team. Supporting one another, effectively communicating, and mutual respect help to optimize patient care experiences and improve outcomes. Below are a few best practices that can support RN to NP collaboration.
Effective communication is an important aspect when considering RN and NP collaboration. It is helpful to set regular meetings or check-ins with one another to align on priorities for the day or week. If you have a quick question about a patient, it is helpful to use secure messaging through the electronic health record or another secure platform instead of waiting for the other to finish seeing a patient. Also, use closed-loop communication or the repeat-back method to avoid misunderstandings. For example, a nurse requests a size 24-gauge 1-inch needle for an intramuscular injection. The nurse practitioner would repeat back, “I’m getting a 24-gauge 1-inch needle for an intramuscular injection and bringing it to you now.” This repeat-back method helps close the communication loop. Another useful tool commonly used in the healthcare setting is the situation, background, assessment, and recommendation (SBAR) method of communication. This is important when discussing patients’ conditions with one another, especially if there is a change in their care or health status. Last, RNs and NPs should actively listen to each other’s concerns and suggestions, and recognize the value that each brings.
Another collaboration strategy that is imperative in any healthcare setting is mutual respect. RNs and NPs should recognize and respect each other’s roles and expertise. While NPs have advanced clinical decision-making and problem-solving skills, RNs bring valuable patient insight and clinical skills. It is helpful to embrace the RN to NP relationship as a collaboration with a team-based mindset since each has the same shared goal of optimizing patient care.
These few strategies can help unify the RN and NP team. Remember, RNs and NPs have a shared goal — to improve patient experiences and outcomes. NPs should strive to involve RNs in patient care planning discussions to deliver a unified patient approach, especially when educating patients about their conditions and care.