One form promotes interdisciplinary approach

To help promote interdisciplinary teamwork, the patient education committee at Nyack (NY) Hospital created a patient assessment that is completed upon admission and referred to by all disciplines. "Formerly, the patient was interviewed in the emergency room, then on the floor, then by dietary and respiratory. In a lot of cases, the patient would be asked the same questions. With this new method, all the information is on the chart once, and all the disciplines know where to find it," says Mary Loftus, RN, BSN, CDE, patient education coordinator at the hospital.

The approach has helped Nyack Hospital create an interdisciplinary patient focus with disciplines working together. The patient education department provided staff education, teaching each department where to look for the information they need rather than asking the patients for the information again.