Teamwork and Collaboration Case Study

Purpose:
This assignment is utilized to address the importance of teamwork and collaboration in the delivery of safe,
quality practice. Using a case study, you will have the opportunity to identify key stakeholders of the team,
evaluate the potential for personal bias, and discuss your role as part of the team. Although the topic is
teamwork and collaboration, this is an individually written assignment.

Program Outcome:
 Engage in communication and collaboration with the interprofessional health care team.
 Provide safe, quality care incorporating evidence based nursing practice.

Course Objective:
 Evaluate strategies for effective interprofessional communication and collaboration.

APA Requirements:
 This paper should be written in APA format, 12 point Times New Roman.
 First person is acceptable in this paper
 No abstract required
 Use direct quotes sparingly, if at all.
 The paper should include: title page with honor code, instructor name and date; no more than 5
pages of content; reference page (if needed)
 A minimum of three recent (within five years), scholarly references are required.
 Please take note of your Safe Assign report. Remember, you can submit a draft early to review
your Safe Assign feedback before submitting a final draft.

Instructions:
 Using the following case study, address the questions below.

Case Study
The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is a busy unit. A call came from a local birthing center
stating they were transferring a term birth with a poor outcome to the NICU. The lay midwife
reported the infant was born limp and cyanotic, APGAR of 1 and 1, and was intubated. The baby
was admitted with the parents at the bedside.
The infant was the couple’s first baby. The mother had an uneventful pregnancy and carried the
infant to term. The parents chose a home birth because they wanted to protect their infant from
infections that exist in the hospital. After the admission assessment and review of the diagnostic
testing, the interprofessional team suspected the infant suffered an anoxic event during late
pregnancy or during labor and delivery.
 Over the next few days the parents kept a vigil at their infant’s side. It was becoming
increasingly apparent a decision about continuing treatment or withdrawing treatment was rapidly
approaching. The interprofessional team had compassion for this family; however, the nursing staff
found it difficult to connect with the parents because of the busy unit and how the parents
presented themselves. Both parents had dread locks, tattoos and multiple piercings. They were
Buddhists and neither the nursing staff nor the members of the interprofessional team understood
the Buddhist rituals related to death and dying.
A nurse approached the patient and mother determined to make a connection so discussions
regarding withdrawing life support could occur. As the nurse began talking to the mother, the
mother began discussing how guilty she felt that she had killed her baby. She thought she was
protecting her baby. She was wracked with grief and was in no state to be making important
decisions. She admitted she did not comprehend the information being told to her by the
physicians and nurses.
As the nurse left the patient’s room, the nurse approached the attending physician to share
concerns about the mother’s ability to participate in life support withdrawal discussions and
suggested a care conference. The interprofessional team needed to discuss with the parents their
infant’s status, the mother’s current state and a possible timeline for making this decision. The
attending physician’s response was, “We don’t do that here. We refer patients back to the
healthcare facility where the event took place.”

1. Describe at least three issues facing the health care team.

2. Who should be involved in the case conference? Identify the unique perspectives of at least four
people you would invite to the conference.
3. As a professional nurse, what is your role as a member of the interprofessional team and to the
family?
4. How do the birthing practices and beliefs of the family affect your ability to be objective?
5. Did additional collaboration need to happen before suggesting a care conference? Why or why not.
6. What would you have done differently if this was your patient?

See Blackboard for grading rubric.