Interviewer: Who are the members of a healthcare team that you believe are most needed to implement a program? Can you explain why?

 

K.S.: I believe everyone working in the geriatric wards and from the hospital’s administration is an essential healthcare team member who can help the program succeed. Specifically, the healthcare team will include the geriatric care nurses, other nurses for the geriatric ward, physicians, a pharmacist, the finance officer, the health information manager, and a bedside nurse. Both geriatric care and nurses in general work directly with the patient and will help the team gain insights into the patient’s risks and needs. The physicians and the pharmacist will both provide expert insights on the medical care of elderly patients and the prescription of medications that may increase the risk of falls, respectively. On the other hand, although not necessarily healthcare professionals, the finance officer, and the health information offices help ensure the correct amount is allocated to the program and the necessary information is needed for making the program’s decisions, respectively. A collaborative team approach can improve interdisciplinary fall risk communication with an impact on reducing the number of falls in elderly care (Lavareda Baixinho Rua dos Matos et al., 2019). Therefore, each healthcare team member is expected to provide their input for the success of the program.
References
American Nurses Association (ANA). (n.d.). Legislative and Political Advocacy for Nurses. Retrieved June 27, 2023, from https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/advocacy/