3.1 Roles and Responsibilities
Playing your role in an effective team
The second IPEC competency relates to the roles and responsibilities of health care professionals and states, “Use the knowledge of one’s own role and those of other professions to appropriately assess and address the health care needs of patients and to promote and advance the health of populations.”[1]
See the following box for the components of this competency. It is important to understand the roles and responsibilities of the other health care team members; recognize one’s limitations in skills, knowledge, and abilities; and ask for assistance when needed to provide quality, patient-centered care.
Components of IPEC’s Roles/Responsibilities Competency[2]
- Communicate one’s roles and responsibilities clearly to patients, families, community members, and other professionals.
- Recognize one’s limitations in skills, knowledge, and abilities.
- Engage with diverse professionals who complement one’s own professional expertise, as well as associated resources, to develop strategies to meet specific health and health care needs of patients and populations.
- Explain the roles and responsibilities of other providers and the manner in which the team works together to provide care, promote health, and prevent disease.
- Use the full scope of knowledge, skills, and abilities of professionals from health and other fields to provide care that is safe, timely, efficient, effective, and equitable.
- Communicate with team members to clarify each member’s responsibility in executing components of a treatment plan or public health intervention.
- Forge interdependent relationships with other professions within and outside of the health system to improve care and advance learning.
- Engage in continuous professional and interprofessional development to enhance team performance and collaboration.
- Use unique and complementary abilities of all members of the team to optimize health and patient care.
- Describe how professionals in health and other fields can collaborate and integrate clinical care and public health interventions to optimize population health.
Every member of the healthcare team is essential for excellent patient care. It is important to care about your role and choose to become an expert in the field. No matter the department, the healthcare worker should learn everything there is to know about their specialty, and become a leader that can answer questions within the area of expertise. This knowledge will offer the confidence needed to speak up if a problem is witnessed. It is important to not criticize or comment on areas outside of one’s scope of practice. A surgical technologist should absolutely speak up about breaks in sterile technique, but we do not have the education or training to speak up about the surgeon’s ability to perform the procedure.
Use critical thinking and creativity to solve problems. Don’t be afraid to offer a solution. You may see things that the physician does not see. Be brave and respectful so your voice is heard. Excellent communication skills are necessary for effective team work.
- Interprofessional Education Collaborative. IPEC core competencies. https://www.ipecollaborative.org/ipec-core-competencies ↵
- Interprofessional Education Collaborative. IPEC core competencies. https://www.ipecollaborative.org/ipec-core-competencies ↵
