As an intrinsically collaborative profession, nursing lends itself naturally to multidisciplinary cooperation and the recognition of multiple voices and opinions. Even nurses who practice autonomously will find themselves leaning on colleagues for support, ideas or professional camaraderie.

The collectivity of nursing is natural, and is thus encouraged in most milieus.

A multitude of voices

The nursing process encourages ongoing assessment of outcomes and the periodic retooling of the care plan. When the desired results have not been achieved, nurses may turn to nursing colleagues or members of other disciplines for supportive ideas. In this way, nurses take part in collaborative care that involves a variety of voices.

Collaborative practice honors the fact that multidisciplinary input spurs positive clinical outcomes and builds trust among team members.

A team effort

Nurses, physicians, nursing assistants, physical therapists, dietitians and housekeeping all play a part in the effort of providing patient care. Each team member makes positive contributions, and every effort — no matter how small or large is essential to the provision of high-quality healthcare.

When members of housekeeping enter a patient's room to mop and clean the bathroom, they provide an essential service to both the patient and the clinical team. A sparkling bathroom and floors contribute to patient wellbeing on a multitude of levels, including the physical (decreased risk of nosocomial infection) and the psycho-emotional (a clean environment lifts the patient's mood and helps her feel cared for and safe).

Moreover, the housekeeper may exchange a few pleasant words or a smile with the patient, contributing further to the caring environment. If the housekeeper notices the patient is in distress, nursing can be alerted to a potential change in condition.

Collective genius

We often think of genius as signifying someone like Albert Einstein or Madame Curie, but the savvy nurse understands that such a chorus of voices can include a plethora of players, from housekeeping and maintenance to the surgical team and the executive suite.

Nurses understand collaborative care; the thoughtful nurse sees the powerful impact of collective genius. The intelligent, forward-thinking nurse recognizes the essential value of the housekeeper is no less than the value of the surgeon, and honors the contributions of each.

Multidisciplinary activist

Some team members may not readily see the value in others; we all know colleagues who appear to walk through the workplace wearing metaphorical blinders. The nurse can play the part of multidisciplinary activist, bringing to light the collective genius of the team, leading by example through the provision of praise and the open acknowledgment of the many contributors to patient care and the healing environment.

Nursing itself is brimming with collective genius, and nurses can actively shine a light on the collective genius beyond the nursing discipline. Genius is everywhere, and nurses can be the team members who acknowledge, value and elucidate the collective power of the multidisciplinary team.