Healthcare Team in Health Assessment
healthcare providers
Team-Based Approach and the Roles of Nurse
and Other Members of the Health Care Team
An effective teamwork can immediately and
positively affect patient safety and outcome.
The need for effective teams is increasing due
to increasing comorbidities and increasing
complexity of specialization of care. The
evolution in health care and a global demand
for quality patient care necessitate a parallel
healthcare professional development with a
great focus on patient-centered teamwork
approach. This can only be achieved by placing
the patient in the center of care and through
sharing a wide-based culture of values and
principles. This will help in forming and
developing an effective team able to deliver
exceptional care to the patients
Learning outcomes for this topic
 Identify the members of a healthcare
team in health assessment
 Describe the team-based approach in
health assessment
 Define the nurse's role in health
assessment
 Discuss the roles of the other members
of the health care team in health
assessment
Team-Based Approach
 is the provision of health services to
individuals families and or other
communities by at least two health
providers work collaboratively with
patients and their caregivers to the
extent preferred by each patient to
accomplish shared goals within and
across settings to achieve coordinated
high quality care
 the incorporation of sharing
responsibilities with accountability
between team members in the
healthcare systems offers great benefit
 however, in practice, shared
responsibility without high quality
teamwork can result in immediate risks
for patients
 for example poor communication
between healthcare professionals,
patients and their caregivers has
emerged as a common reason for
patients taking legal action against
 medical errors near misses and other
adverse events may also occur due to
inadequacy of communication among
team members even in a well coherent
team
 moreover, lack of purposeful team care
can also lead to unnecessary waste.
Therefore, class identification of best
practices may help in avoiding some of
these dangers and may help to control
the costs
Principles in Team-Based healthcare
Approach
Shared Goals
 the team including the patient, family
members, or other support persons
generate a common and clearly defined
purpose that includes a collective
interest and demonstrates shared
ownership
Clear Roles
 there are clear expectations for each
members functions, responsibilities, and
accountabilities, which optimize the
team's efficiency and often make it
possible for the team to take advantage
of the division of labor thereby
accomplishing more than the sum of its
parts
Mutual Trust and Respect
 team members earn each other's trust
creating strong norms of reciprocity and
greater opportunities for shared
achievement
 they also respect and appreciate the role
of each other's talents and beliefs
 in addition to their professional
contributions, effective teams also
accept and encourage a diversity of
opinions among members
Effective Communication
 this is crucial for the teamwork success
 the team prioritizes and continuously
refines its communication skills
 it has consistent and accessible
channels for complete communication
and used by all team members across
all settings
Measurable Processes and Outcomes
  Reliable and timely feedback on
successes and failures should be
agreed and implemented by the team
these are used to track and improve
performance immediately and put
strategies for the future
Leadership
 Effective teams facilitate coach and
coordinate the activities of other team
members
 effective leadership is a key
characteristic of an effective team
Healthcare Team
In health assessment, the healthcare team
needs to collaborate on patients and decide
the best overall care. This occurs throughout
the lifespan from the inception of life until
death. The healthcare team is a partnership
and includes the nurse, physician, nutritionist,
social worker, physical therapist, occupational
therapist, speech therapist, dentist, dietitian,
medical social worker, laboratory technicians
radiologists, pharmacist, inhalation or
respiratory therapist, psychologist and the
clergy. They all work together on the same
team for the benefit of the patient
Nurse
 through the health assessment, nurses
are able to detect areas in need of
health improvement nurses have taken
the lead in health promotion and are
able to assist patients to change their
behaviors and lifestyles to obtain
optimal health
 this enables individuals to increase
control of and improve their overall
health
 maintaining health is a priority in nursing
and central to health care health
promotion goes beyond the individual
patient
 it also encompasses the community
 nurses are involved in the shaping of
public policy and in social economic and
workplace decisions
 in order for the nurse to assist a patient
with health promotion, a healthy
environment must also be nurtured
 the community and the environment
need to be defined and realistic goals
set for possible change
 example nurses may promote healthy
diets in school cafeterias, this marks the
path for prevention of illness and
maintenance of health and wellness
 nurses work closely with patients. a
nurse's job duties depend on their
education, area of specialty, and work
setting
Types of Nurses
Registered Nurses
 they are required to pass a written
examination
and should be a holder of a bachelor's
degree in nursing from a college or
university
that complies with the standards of
nursing education
duly recognized by the proper government
agency
Advanced Practice Nurses
 these are nurses who have more
education and experience than
registered nurses
 examples of advanced practice nurses
are clinical nurse specialists, nurse
anesthetist, nurse midwife and nurse
practitioner
Licensed Practical Nurses
 they're also called licensed vocation
nurses they train for about one year at a
community or vocational college or
school and are licensed by their state
 nurses are instrumental in the care of
patients
Roles of Nurses in Health Assessment
 Oversee the holistic care of each
patient.
 The nurse's initial role in health
assessment is to collect data. Constant
observation and attention to details and
nuances are critical. Each person comes
with a vast array of information and is
influenced by his or her surroundings
including the physical, emotional,
cultural, and spiritual environment. This
extensive body of knowledge and the
responsibility that each patient
encounters requires can seem
overwhelming to the new nurse. As the
nurse becomes more proficient and
comfortable in his or her role,
accountability does not decrease but the
 knowledge base and expertise increases
and fosters confidence
 As a nurse, it is vital to sift through all
the information or patient information
and make judgments as to what
information will impact patient safety
and quality of care
 The ability to identify what is important
on a daily basis for each individual
patient is paramount for nursing care.
During the health assessment, the nurse
asks questions to determine the health
information that influences the day-to-
day care and how it affects the person's
quality of life
Physician
 In the hospital setting, the physician is
responsible for the medical diagnosis
and for determining the therapy required
by person who is ill or injured
 A physician is a person who is legally
authorized to practice medicine in a
particular jurisdiction
Primary Care Doctors
 when patients need medical care, they
first go to primary care doctors
 Primary care doctors focus on
preventive health care.
 This includes regular checkups, disease
screening tests, immunizations, and
health counseling
 Primary care doctors may be family
practitioners, internal medicine, or
osteopathic doctors
 Pediatricians also provide primary care
for babies, children, and teenagers.
Primary care pediatricians treat day-to-
day illnesses and provide preventive
care such as minor injuries, viral
infections, immunizations, and
checkups
Specialists
 Diagnose and treat conditions that
require a special area of knowledge.
Patients may see a specialist to
diagnose or treat a specific short-term
condition
 If patients have a chronic disease, they
may see a specialist on an ongoing
basis
 Examples of specialties include
endocrinology, dermatology, and
obstetrics
Nutritionist
 S person who helps people form healthy
eating habits to improve health and
prevent disease
 May provide nutritional counselling,
meal planning, and nutrition education
programs
 Nutritionists may also look at how the
environment affects the quality and
safety of food and how it may affect
health
 Nutritionists are experts in the field of
food and nutrition and help others
achieve their health goals
 Their duties include the following:
 provide direction to patients or clients
on healthy living and good nutrition
 implement meal plans in health facilities
or schools
 develop and prepare meals based on
dietary restrictions
 work with healthcare personnel
regarding the patient's nutritional needs
 teach patients and clients about food
selection and nutrition principles
 advocate for nutrition labeling school
nutrition standards and public policy
issues
 conduct research
Social Worker
 are professionals who aim to enhance
overall well-being and help meet basic
and complex needs of communities and
people
 social workers work with many different
populations and types of people,
particularly focusing on those who are
vulnerable, oppressed, and living in
poverty
 social work practice involves the
understanding of human development,
behavior, and the social economic and
cultural institutions and interactions
 social work professionals working with
families and institutions
 have helped to provide and advance the
following social impacts:
  civil rights
 unemployment insurance
 disability pay
 workers compensation
 reduced mental health stigma
 Medicaid and medicare
 child abuse and neglect prevention
Physical Therapist
 help patients when they have an injury,
disability, or medical condition that
limits their ability to move or function
 physical therapists test a patient's
strengths and ability to move and create
a treatment plan
 the goal of treatment is to improve
mobility, reduce pain, restore function, or
prevent further disability
 physical therapists may treat patients
who have an amputation, are stroke,
injury or chronic disease
 physical therapists are required to have
a license and may have a two-year
master's or three-year doctoral degree
Occupational Therapist
 help patients perform tasks needed for
everyday living or working
 they work with patients who have
physical, mental, or developmental
disabilities
 this includes stroke patients who have
lost function on one side of their body,
heart or lung disease, patients with
activity or breathing limitations, or
diabetes patients who have had a limb
amputated
 Help patients or clients find new ways to
dress, cook, eat, or work. They may visit
patients in their home or workplace to
find adaptive equipment or teach
patients new ways to do things
 Have a master's or doctoral degree and
are licensed by their state
Speech Therapists
 they're also called speech language
pathologists
 They work with patients who have
problems related to speech,
communication, or swallowing. These
problems may be caused by cancer,
stroke, or brain injury
 Speech therapists tailor care plans to
each patient's needs. If a patient has a
problem speaking, the therapist may
teach them ways to use communication
devices, sign language, or alternative
ways to communicate
 For problem swallowing, they may teach
patients to strengthen muscles or new
ways to swallow food and liquids
without choking
 Most states license speech language
pathologists and requiremaster's degree
Dentist
 Diagnose and treat problems with teeth
mouth along with giving advice and
administering care to help prevent future
problems
 They also teach patients about brushing,
flossing fluoride, and other aspects of
dental care.
 They also treat tooth decay, fill cavities,
and replace missing teeth
Dietitian
 Supervise the preparation of meals
according to the doctor's prescription.
 They also assess the patient's
nutritional and hydration needs and
monitors the patient's response to those
needs
 Because dietitians frequently monitor
meal time activities, they may be the
professionals who initially detect a
swallowing disorder
Medical Social Worker
 this is the application and adoption of
the method and philosophy of social
work in the field of health and medical
care
 The medical social worker is
responsible for offering the support and
resources that patients need in order to
fully recover from a medical illness or
injury as well as the resulting emotional,
physical, or psychological concerns
after performing a comprehensive
assessment of a patient's support needs
 They work with the patient's family
support system and other health service
 providers to coordinate an individualized
discharge plan for in-home medical
equipment, transportation, meal plans
counseling or other follow-up
treatments
 Medical social workers arrange all
available resources to ensure patients
recover and achieve optimal well-being
Laboratory Technologist
 is a person who performs the practical
hands-on work in laboratories
 lab techs work in diverse settings which
include healthcare industry, research,
and educational institutions
 lab techs may work in a wide variety of
fields such as medicine, biology,
chemistry, electronics, geology, and the
environment
 The main duties of a lab tech include the
following:
 Receiving, processing and analyzing
samples. Depending on the work setting,
the samples may consist of blood and
tissue (health care); air, water, soil, and
rock (environment, public health and
mining); chemical products (chemical
and pharmaceutical industry), etc
 Conducting tests on new products or
experimental processes
 Designing and conducting lab tests
according to standard procedure
 Using, cleaning, and maintaining various
types of equipment
 Handling and storing chemicals in other
materials
 Handling of compressed gas cylinders
 Administrative tasks such as
maintaining notebooks, documenting
procedures, and preparing orders and
invoices
Radiologists
 medical doctors that specialize in
diagnosing and treating injuries and
diseases using medical imaging
(radiology) procedures (exams/tests)
such as X-rays, computed tomography
(CT), magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI), nuclear medicine, positron
emission tomography (PET) and
ultrasound.
 through radioactive materials, nuclear
medicine technologists can provide
diagnostic information about
functioning of a patient's liver and etc
 radiology may be divided into two
different areas which are diagnostic
radiology and interventional radiology
 Diagnostic Radiology helps healthcare
providers see structures inside your
body using the diagnostic images the
radiologists or other physicians can
often diagnose the cause of your
symptoms, monitor how well your body
is responding to a treatment you are
receiving for your disease or condition
and screen for different illnesses such
as breast cancer, colon cancer, or heart
disease
 Interventional Radiologists are doctors
that use imaging such as CT, ultrasound,
MRI, and fluoroscopy to help guide
procedures. The imaging is helpful to
the doctor when inserting catheters
wires and other small instruments and
tools into your body. This typically
allows for smaller incisions or cuts
Pharmacist
 Prepares and dispenses
pharmaceuticals in hospitals and
community settings
 The role of the pharmacists in
monitoring and evaluating the actions of
medications on patients is becoming
increasingly prominent.
Pharmacists are responsible for the following
 the quality of medicines supplied to
patients
 ensuring that the supply of medicines is
within the law
 ensuring that the medicines prescribed
to patients are suitable
 advising patients about medicines
including how to take them, what
reactions may occur, and answering the
patient's questions
 they also supervise the medicine supply
chain and ensure pharmacy premises
and systems are fit for purpose
 advise other health care professionals
about safe and effective medicine skills
and safe and secure supply of
medicines
  respond to patient symptoms and role of a clergy is therefore very
advice on medicines for sale in important
pharmacies
 provide service to patient such as
smoking, cessation , blood pressure
measurement and cholesterol
management
 supervisor production and preparation
of medicines and assessments of
quality medicines before they are
supplied to patients from
pharmaceutical manufacturers

Inhalation or Respiratory Therapists

 they are skilled in therapeutic measures
used in care of patients with respiratory
problems t
 hey help improve the outcomes for
people with asthma, pneumonia,
emphysema, lung trauma
 therapists can assess your breathing
recommend exercises and monitor your
progress
 these therapists are knowledgeable
about oxygen therapy devices and
intermittent positive pressure breathing
respirators artificial mechanical
ventilators as well as accessory devices
used for inhalation

Psychologist
 is a person who studies normal and
abnormal mental states perceptual
cognitive, emotional, and social
processes and behavior by
experimenting with and observing
interpreting and recording how
individuals relate to one another and to
their environments
 the clinical psychologist constitutes an
important member in the healthcare
team
 the psychological dimension of a person
is looked into and the healthcare
services are accordingly planned

Clergy
 the spiritual dimension of a person or
patient comes into play more during a
person's illness
 Patients who draw their spiritual
strength from god are the ones who
successfully cope with illnesses. The