- Collaborative Nursing Practice -
All Types of Nursing Professionals Working Together
Collaborative nursing practice occurs when the different types of nursing professionals work
together within their defined
nursing scope of practice to deliver care based on the client's needs.
More than just cooperation and teamwork, true collaborative practice requires both individual and systemic support in
order to make it work.
"Everyone involved in establishing collaborative practice
must be knowledgeable about the needs of the clients, the practice
environment, the way care is provided, and the roles and responsibilities
of the various nursing practitioners."
Nursing in Collaborative Environments 2000 by Registered Psychiatric Nurses Association of Saskatchewan,
the Saskatchewan Association of Licensed Practical Nurses and the
Saskatchewan Registered Nurses Association,accessed Nov 2009
Individual Support for Collaboration
Individual support for collaboration is provided by the professional nurses involved in the
collaborative practice and rests on these three foundations.
- All types of nursing professionals must accept and commit to the common goal of working in the
public interest to provide safe quality care to clients and families. (See the definition of "in the public interest" on the page where nursing laws that regulate practice are described.
- Each member of the nursing team (registered nurse, licensed practical nurse,
registered psychiatric nurse, and
nurse practitioner) must be familiar with the
nursing scope of practice
for their collaborative partners.
- All nursing professionals must seek help when client needs exceed their own
level of nursing competence or
the care required is outside of the defined nursing scope of practice.
For a description of a personal competency set, go to the page that describes what a Nursing Competency is.
Systemic Support for Collaboration within the Nursing Profession
- Employers should involve all nursing professionals in the process of deciding on a collaborative nursing practice model.
- Employers must be familiar with the shared competency sets and overlapping roles and responsibilities of each of the different types of nursing and
provide the appropriate processes and guidance for client assignments based on a match between the nursing scope of practice for each professional and the complexity of client needs.
- Provincial regulatory nursing organizations for each of the
different types of nursing must collaborate at the regulatory level to provide guidance to their members for collaborative practice.
Entry level practice is defined by an entry level nursing competency set for all types of nursing. These competencies are used
as the basis for the licensing exam.
PP-9 practises within the scope of practice of the registered nurse.
PP-10 articulates the registered nurse scope of practice to others (eg. the client, health-care team members, the public, community leaders, politicians).
PP-22 is accountable when assigning nursing activities to other health care providers consistent with the
competence, expertise, education, role description/agency policy, legislation, and the client's needs. (eg assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation of workload assignment.)
PP-25 collaborates and builds partnerships with nursing colleagues and other members of the health care team to provide health services.
PP-26 understands the roles and contributions of other health-care team members(eg. scope of practice,
role description, consultation).
Collaboration refers to sharing of the various tasks and roles that are needed to
provide care based on client needs.
This includes planning, making decisions, solving problems, setting goals, assuming responsibility,
working together cooperatively, communicating, and coordinating.
Nursing practice in health care in Canada also requires collaboration with other members of the
health care team such as
doctors, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, physical therapists, dieticians and many others.
Nursing standards of practice in all provinces
require nurses to collaborate with other professionals.
