Nursing Reflection on a Multidisciplinary Team Experience & Learning

This essay is a nursing reflection on a multidisciplinary team experience involving a patient requiring a motorized wheelchair. The author, a physiotherapist, recounts assessing the patient with occupational therapists and a nurse, procuring the wheelchair, and assisting the patient in its use. The reflection details the author's feelings, including initial satisfaction with the patient's progress and subsequent disappointment upon learning that such wheelchairs could be obtained for free through government funding. The evaluation highlights the importance of teamwork and continuous learning, while the analysis emphasizes the need for comprehensive care and knowledge sharing within multidisciplinary teams. The action plan outlines a commitment to ethical practice, shared decision-making, and effective communication to prevent similar oversights in the future, aligning with the professional code of conduct for physiotherapists in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. The reflection underscores the value of collaboration and client-centered care in healthcare settings.

Running head: NURSING REFLECTION
Nursing Reflection: Multidisciplinary Team
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Description of the event
While I was working as physiotherapist in a multidisciplinary unit, I came across of
patient who was vouching to avail motorised wheel chair in order to aid swift movement in
accomplishing the daily activities. He was complaining to sudden knee accident and his
difficulty in walking. Following details of his pathological condition and verifying the same,
the I as a physiotherapist along with the occupational therapists confirmed the requirement of
the wheel chair and the registered nurse in that unit, proceeded with the quotation for wheel
chair. Upon arrival of the wheel chair, me and the occupational therapists helped the patients
to get accustomed with the new vehicle. However, few days after the patient was released,
when I was discussing the case with another health care professionals (orthopaedic of another
multidisciplinary team), he informed me that those wheel chairs can be availed for free as
government specifically fund for them.
Feelings
Upon seeing the patient, the first thought that came into my mind is what the reason
behind his requirement of wheel chair is. Another thought that crossed my mind that what
kind of injuries n his knees provoked him to use wheel chair. The feelings which run through
my mind were why person is vouching for motorised wheel chair and not the hand cycling
wheel chair. However, I was aware that hand-cycling wheel chair may cause should muscle
strains and hence scores less in comparison to motorised wheel chair. I was happy when the
patient was gradually getting accustomed with the motorised wheel chair navigation under
the controlled observation of my physiotherapy and assistance from the occupational
therapists and nurse. I also assisted the patient in helping to control the navigation unit of
wheel chair. However, when I was enlightened by another health care professionals that such
wheel chair are sponsored by government and can be availed for free, I got extremely

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depressed for the patient. I thought it was negligence from my end that cost the patient’s a
huge sum of money.
Evaluation
The main good thing about the event I learnt how a physiotherapist can work in
unison with an occupational therapists and a nurse to deliver quality care to the patient who is
suffering from knee injury and is required to avail a wheel chair. The skills used by the
occupational therapists and nurse helped me learn proper accommodation of the mobility
needs to people with disabilities apart from the restriction coming from the muscle spasm.
Another thing that got well with this case study is, I learnt that relief in joint pain help in
improve the physical function and quality of life. I also get a detailed overview of the how
exercise, orthotics, patellar taping, joint protection education and assistive devices help a
patient to attain health and well-being. However, in the midst of all this, I felt extremely sorry
for the patient as negligence from our end has cost the patients a huge sum of money. If we
had consulted with other health care professionals then this loss might have been avoided.
This again goes with the ethical and professional code of conduct of physiotherapists of
Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, that states that a physiotherapists must derive
knowledge from, with and about the patients and relevant other.
Analysis
After experiencing this event, the main learning outcome from my end is the
importance of the multidisciplinary team in providing comprehensive care. According to
Mitchell, Tieman and Shelby-James (2008), multidisciplinary team is crucial to deliver
comprehensive care. I also learnt that a registered physiotherapists must be trained enough to
indulge in a collaborative, inclusive, culturally responsive and client oriented model of
practice. This is a kind of care procured by a wide range of professionals functioning as a

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single team under one organizational umbrella or via professionals from different
organizations. Moreover, I also analyzed that since the patient’s conditions changes over
time, the composition of the team may also change in order to reflect the changing clinical
and psychosocial needs of the patient. Ndoro (2014) further opined that a multidisciplinary
team may be such that there exist trust between the team members so that it may deliver best
mix of skills. If we had am enrich or vast multi-disciplinary team or have discussed this issue
with other health care professionals from other organization, we might not have missed this
important information. According to New South Wales Government (NSW) of Health, a
multidisciplinary team must contain a rich group of general practitioners, practice nurse,
community health nurse, allied health professionals and health educators. The same incidence
also enlightened me about the policies of government of Australia in relation to people with
disability.
Conclusion
Thus from my above reflection, I would like to conclude that all the health care
professionals must work in sync and must also promote exchange of knowledge in order to
promote comprehensives care to the patients.
Action Plan
My action plan for the future will mostly be based on the professional code of
conduct of physiotherapists in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. According to this
professional code of conduct, a physiotherapist must work both collaboratively and
autonomously with the patients and the significant others. The approach of providing care
will be such that it acknowledges the dignity of the client while respecting the client’s culture
and rights. The professional code of conduct also put immense emphasis of shared decision-
making while providing quality care to the patient (Physiotherapy practice thresholds in

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Australia & Aotearoa New Zealand, 2015). I will try to practise this code of conduct
ingeniously as abiding by the same will help me side-pass mistakes that I have committed in
this case. I will also respect my patient’s opinion in case of drafting the action plan. However,
if the client refuses to avail the best possible care, I will not forcefully impose my decision on
him but will facilitate effective discussion towards the process of negotiation of the therapy
plan. This again goes with the ethical code of conduct of physiotherapists. Under the banner
of effectiveness discussion making procedure, I will try to educate the patient about the
importance of the therapy while monitoring his or her response to that therapy. I will also try
to effectively address the barriers in order to promote effective professional collaboration so
that this kind of knowledge gap situations can easily be avoided. In order to promote the
between functioning of the multidisciplinary team, I will try to maintain good working
relationships with both the clients and other members of the multidisciplinary team. This
healthy relationship will help me to indulge in knowledge sharing and will make me more
comfortable in seeking guidance of professional support or assistance in situations which are
beyond my expertise or when the positive outcome of physiotherapy is not as expected.
Maintenance of healthy relationship will also help me to acknowledge and respect the roles of
others delivering care and services to the patients. I will also act towards the promotion of
client-centred interprofessional team that will place client’s interest at the principal position
of the care plan while recognising and eliminating the barriers towards optimal
implementation of the care plan.

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Bibliography
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Mikolajewska, E. (2012). The most common problems in wheelchair selection–own
observations. Journal of Health Sciences, 2(1), 089-093.
Mitchell, G. K., Tieman, J. J., & Shelby-James, T. M. (2008). Multidisciplinary care planning
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Ndoro, S. (2014). Effective multidisciplinary working: the key to high-quality care. British
Journal of Nursing, 23(13), 724-727.
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https://www.physioboard.org.nz/sites/default/files/PhysiotherapyPractice
%20Thresholds3.5.16.pdf