When to Escalate
Why Collaboration Changes Patient Safety
A patient may be assessed by an RPN, prescribed treatment by a physician or nurse practitioner, reviewed by a pharmacist, and discharged with support from several community serv...
A patient may be assessed by an RPN, prescribed treatment by a physician or nurse practitioner, reviewed by a pharmacist, and discharged with support from several community services. Each clinician sees part of the patient’s course. Harm occurs when those parts are not connected: a medication change is missed, a pending result has no follow-up owner, or the patient receives instructions that conflict with the documented plan. Interprofessional collaboration is therefore more than being courteous or attending a case conference. The team shares clinically relevant information, agrees on the patient’s goals, clarifies who will act, and confirms that the plan was received and understood. This improves safety because decisions are checked against more than one perspective while the patient’s priorities remain visible. The RPN contributes leadership at the point of care by recognizing changes, communicating assessment findings, coordinating with the appropriate team members, reinforcing the agreed plan, and identifying gaps before they reach the patient. Shared accountability does not remove individual accountability: the RPN remains responsible for practising within competence, authorization, assignment, and local policy, and for escalating when a...