Descriptor: Intentional collaboration across professions and with care team members, patients, families, communities, and other stakeholders to optimize care, enhance the healthcare experience, and strengthen outcomes.
Contextual Statement: Professional partnerships that include interprofessional, intraprofessional, and paraprofessional partnerships, build on a consistent demonstration of core professional values (altruism, excellence, caring, ethics, respect, communication, and shared accountability) in the provision of team-based, person-centered care. Nursing knowledge and expertise uniquely contributes to the intentional work within teams and in concert with patient, family, and community preferences and goals. Interprofessional partnerships require a coordinated, integrated, and collaborative implementation of the unique knowledge, beliefs, and skills of the full team for the end purpose of optimized care delivery. Effective collaboration requires an understanding of team dynamics and an ability to work effectively in care-oriented teams. Leadership of the team varies depending on needs of the individual, community, population, and context of care.