Building Stronger Nursing Teams Through Interdisciplinary Collaboration

By Samantha Riarh

This semester, Debbie Job from the Practical Nursing program and Samantha Riarh from the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program collaborated on a simulation-based learning experience. The goal of the session was to deepen students’ understanding of how effective collaboration influences patient care and to strengthen their readiness for professional practice.

Intradisciplinary collaboration explores the critical importance of understanding the roles and responsibilities of all members of the interprofessional healthcare team, knowledge crucial for optimal team performance and high-quality patient outcomes. To support this learning, Debbie and Samantha brought together two groups of nursing students for an interactive, collaborative, and engaging class session that reflected real-world practice.

Discussions centred on scope of practice, valuing the diverse contributions of other providers, effective communication, and recognising leadership opportunities.

The afternoon was filled with engaging conversation, mutual respect, and meaningful peer learning. Students examined how different leadership styles and approaches to practice directly impact patient care outcomes and reflected on strategies for working collaboratively to ensure safe and effective care.

By learning with, from, and about one another, students experienced firsthand the value of collaborative practice, leaving the session better prepared, more confident, and more deeply connected to the shared goal of patient-centred care.

Looking forward to doing this all over again in the winter