Every day we are asked to work together to achieve excellence in patient care. Whether it is on the unit, clinic, operating room, Ambulatory Surgery Center, local schools, universities, and more, it is almost impossible to not collaborate with colleagues. Nurses work in community settings, in skilled care facilities, and in long-term care facilities. The list goes on.
Professional organizations also collaborate to learn from each other and to set standards. An example of organizations working together can be found in this issue of Orthopaedic Nursing. NAON in conjunction with the American Society for Pain Management Nurses (ASPMN) worked together to develop the combined position statement, "Acute Perioperative Pain Management Among Adult Patients Undergoing Orthopaedic Surgery" (Arkin et al., 2022, p. 71). The two organizations worked together to help nurses understand their role in the management of postoperative pain in patients undergoing orthopaedic surgical procedures. In this position statement, guiding principles were developed that should help nurses in this area.
Another example of organizations collaborating was present during NAON's 42nd annual Congress in Reno, NV. It was the first time that NAON and the International Collaboration of Orthopaedic Nursing (ICON) partnered to host the Congress.
Interprofessional collaboration further supports the idea that individuals from different backgrounds can and do influence healthcare to improve outcomes. From a discussion between a nurse and a physician on the unit regarding a patient to the more complex development of institutional programs to improve entire system changes, collaboration is essential to achieving success.
In a 2018 study by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, they looked at health work environments and one element that was defined was True Collaboration. "A team that works together succeeds together. Collaboration among nurses and staff ensures more efficient, effective patient care and a more supportive environment where team members can develop in their practice" (Ulrich et al., 2019). It is important that we recognize the power of collaboration. The authors went on to say that "nurses must be relentless in pursuing and fostering true collaboration."
So, what is next? During the pandemic, we saw some of the greatest collaboration that healthcare has ever seen. This needs to continue. We must view collaboration as a tool to improve patient satisfaction and outcomes; increase nurse satisfaction in the work they do and the environments where they practice; and demonstrate that nurses are committed to collaboration with other healthcare professionals to create a "true collaboration" in all we do. It is clear that great things can happen when we choose to work together and collaborate to improve healthcare.
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