NURS FPX 4005 Assessment 3 Interdisciplinary Plan Proposal

Resources like SBAR handoff protocols, communication training sessions, integration of SBAR checklists into electronic health records, and collaboration with clinical and IT teams are required. These are all crucial elements of interdisciplinary nursing that are needed to ensure appropriate data transfer during handoffs.

In what ways can standardized handoff procedures enhance patient safety and communication? 

As a major goal of NURS FPX 4005 assessment 3, standardized handoff procedures would ensure the transmission of critical patient data, reduce mistakes, and improve patient safety by promoting ongoing communication across disciplines.

What are the key measures to assess the plan’s success?

Key indicators related to patient handoff communication, coordination, and safety outcomes, as well as audits and feedback questionnaires, will be used to track success.
To assess communication accuracy and reduce errors, compliance with SBAR and I-PASS protocols will be tracked in addition to incident reports. As a crucial part of NURS FPX 4005 assessment 3, the efficacy of teamwork will be evaluated using TeamSTEPPS tools, and progress will be monitored through monthly evaluations (Hamm et al., 2021).

Change Theories and Leadership Strategies

This interdisciplinary proposal focuses on improving patient handoff communication at MGH during shift changes using Kurt Lewin’s three phases of change management: unfreezing, altering, and refreezing (Harrison et al., 2021). The leaders of the company emphasize the risks and negative implications of poor handoff communication after initiating the unfreezing part. This develops an urgency and prepares the staff to change. The interdisciplinary team proceeds to the altering step using inclusive parts of handoff designs such as SBAR and I-PASS with supported

protocols to enhance better facilitation of such information transfer. These practices can be frozen to become standardized processes in the stage of refreezing with the help of leadership involvement, performance assessments, and education, as an example of an interdisciplinary proposal. 

This method encourages long-term high-quality performance, fosters collaboration, and ensures accountability and continuity in patient care, which are aligned with the NURS FPX 4005 assessment 3 objectives. A real-world example was seen at Johns Hopkins Hospital, where Lewin’s paradigm helped to adopt the I-PASS procedure. The method enhanced patient safety, minimized errors, and controlled communication among members of multidisciplinary teams, increasing the quality of handoff (Rehm et al., 2021). 

Transformational Leadership Strategy

In addition to the TeamSTEPPS (Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety) standard, Transformational Leadership (TL) can present an interdisciplinary plan proposal to enhance teamwork performance at MGH when it comes to patient handoff (Kuriyan et al., 2020). Setting shared objectives centered on improving handoff communication while leading teams to accomplish general goals is the foundation of motivational leadership in patient safety. Leaders are required to resolve specific communication measures about handoffs, multidisciplinary input, and how to increase the quality of handoffs. As part of NURS FPX 4005 assessment 3, nurses, physicians, and case managers gain experience with standardized handoff checklists and team meetings through launch seminars that TL leads. An atmosphere that enhances staff productivity and patient care can be created by MGH leadership. The implementation of standardized tools by leaders using TL values at the Mayo Clinic was a great example of how TL may improve handoff communication. The enhanced communication that resulted from this method led to fewer miscommunications during patient handoffs (Wallace et al., 2023).

Team Collaboration Strategy

The goal of the MGH team is to improve patient handoff processes. The team consists of clinical supervisors, bedside clinicians, executive leaders, and communication coordinators.
Standardized handoff procedures will be implemented under the supervision of clinical supervisors, who will also keep an eye on compliance and schedule regular training sessions. The TeamSTEPPS framework enhances team responsibilities, communication, and mutual aid, all of which promote collaboration (Hamm et al., 2021). Bedside clinicians will participate in interactive simulations to enhance their skills and provide feedback on the value of handoff protocols, which align with interdisciplinary nursing concepts.

 Communication coordinators will supervise training sessions and enhance message strategies to ensure that patient updates are provided, supporting the objectives of NURS FPX 4005 assessment 3. Healthcare workers will be able to communicate more effectively by incorporating electronic handoff platforms, which will enable them to provide data fast and reliably (Rehm et al., 2021). Executive executives will examine patient care indicators and gather employee feedback to assess the long-term success of these initiatives. SBAR will enable proper data flow by enhancing the focus and organization of patient updates (Rehm et al., 2021). These coordinated activities will inspire the pursuit of excellent patient care outcomes and increase the standard for communication.

Required Organizational Resources

Resource commitments are necessary to carry out MGH’s plan to enhance handoff communication. Workers will work hard to supervise the application of standardized handoff techniques, train staff, and assess the program’s efficacy. Existing resources, including conference rooms, online communication platforms, and electronic systems, will help with SBAR and I-PASS practice. The projected costs might include hosting yearly staff development workshops on handoff protocols ($500–$1,000 annually) and employing outside communication specialists ($150–$200 per session). Utilizing the existing access to patient records, schedules, and handoff monitoring

reports will be essential to supporting this interdisciplinary plan proposal, even if it won’t incur new costs. Meetings, training hours, and audit evaluations are included in the estimated $15,000–$20,000 annual cost commitment. This funding will support enhanced departmental communication and better handoff processes. If MGH does not try to improve handoff communication, persistent breakdowns could endanger patient safety and raise the risk of clinical errors. Inadequate patient transitions hinder continuity of care, delay medicines, and expose the organization to legal action and compliance violations (Chien et al., 2022). When handoffs go wrong, staff members get stressed and unhappy because crucial data is lost. As a result, turnover increases and employee morale declines. In addition to raising the expense of recruiting and onboarding new hires, this workforce instability would erode team cohesiveness. Additionally, a major focus of the NURS FPX 4005 assessment 3 is the hospital’s reputation, which can be harmed and patient satisfaction reduced by unequal patient care caused by poor handoff procedures. 

Conclusion

This initiative aims to improve patient handoff communication at MGH by putting established protocols into place, supported by cooperation and targeted training. TL and Kurt Lewin’s change theory will serve as the endeavor’s direction. Among the resources required are staffing, training, and digital technologies; progress will be evaluated through audits and feedback. Poor implementation of this plan could lead to low employee morale, communication breakdowns, and patient safety risks, underscoring the significance of interdisciplinary nursing. 

References

Chien, L. J., Slade, D., Dahm, M. R., Brady, B., Roberts, E., Goncharov, L., Taylor, J., Eggins, S., & Thornton, A. (2022). Improving patient‐centred care through a tailored intervention addressing nursing clinical handover communication in its organizational and cultural context. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 78(5), 1413–1430. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.15110

Hamm, B., Pozuelo, L., & Brendel, R. (2021). General hospital agitation management under the lens of leadership theory and health care team best practices using TeamSTEPPS. Journal of the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry, 63(3), 213–224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaclp.2021.10.007

Harrison, R., Fischer, S., Walpola, R. L., Chauhan, A., Babalola, T., Mears, S., & Le-Dao, H. (2021). Where do models for change management, improvement, and implementation meet? A systematic review of the applications of change management models in healthcare. Journal of Healthcare Leadership, 13(2), 85–108. https://doi.org/10.2147/JHL.S289176

Kuriyan, A., Kinkler, G., Cidav, Z., Kang-Yi, C., Eiraldi, R., Salas, E., & Wolk, C. B. (2020). TeamSTEPPS to improve collaboration in school mental health: Protocol for a mixed- method hybrid effectiveness-implementation study. JMIR Research Protocols, 10(2). https://doi.org/10.2196/26567

Rehm, C., Zoller, R., Schenk, A., Müller, N., Nerschbach, N., Zenker, S., & Schindler, E. (2021).

Evaluation of a paper-based checklist versus an electronic handover tool based on the Situation Background Assessment Recommendation (SBAR) concept in patients after

surgery for congenital heart disease. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 10(24), 5724. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm10245724

Wallace, L. A., Schuder, K. K., Loeslie, V., Hanson, A. C., Ongubo, C., Chiarelly, E., Schalla, G., Meek, K. H., & Springer, D. (2023). Improving communication in the medical intensive care unit through standardization of handoff format: A quality improvement project. Mayo Clinic Proceedings: Innovations, Quality & Outcomes, 7(4), 301–308. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocpiqo.2023.05.006