Consultation is one aspect that is greatly valued in nursing and modern healthcare; it has contributed in enhancing provision of quality information to patients so as to cater for their needs as well as those with needs of complex nature (O'Connell, Gardner & Coyer, 2014). It has for that matter helped improve the relationships between nurses at work with their colleagues as well as with their seniors. With consultation it is more about a nurse seeking guidance from a fellow nurse or a senior who has more expertise skills on the issue at hand. In the context of consultation, it is more about one party or individual seeking the expertise power of the other in handling the matter at hand. This implies that one has to recognize the expertise power of the individual from whom they intend to consult and only be sure that they actually possess the expertise. Consultation is essentially based on mutual respect and a spirit of supportive engagement (Julie Vosit-Steller & Morse, 2014).
Supervision on its part requires that the individual follows direct orders coming from the higher hierarchies. It does not necessarily involve any interactions between the parties involved and this implies that the procedures are directly or even priory communicated and expected to be exercised as outlined (Julie Vosit-Steller & Morse, 2014).
Consultation and collaboration are synonymous in the fact that they both involve mutual interaction between two individuals or parties focused on achieving a certain objective or pursue a certain task to satisfaction. However with consultation it means that one party has to be perceived or actually have more expertise power than the other. With consultation the bottom line is that there exists a mutual agreement between the involved parties to come together and seek a solution so as to deliver the required results (Julie Vosit-Steller & Morse, 2014).
Working in a hospice involves handling patients and their families who have issues that transcend beyond physical health to psychological, emotional and economical issues. Within this context, the hospice care setting is characterized by a need to afford these patients and families holistic interventions (Donald et al., 2013). These holistic interventions are only possible within the aspects of inter-professional collaboration which is possible within an environment that supports consultations (Julie Vosit-Steller & Morse, 2014).
References
Donald, F., Martin‐Misener, R., Carter, N., Donald, E. E., Kaasalainen, S., Wickson‐Griffiths, A., & DiCenso, A. (2013). A systematic review of the effectiveness of advanced practice nurses in long‐term care. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 69(10), 2148-2161.
Julie Vosit-Steller, J., & Morse, A. B. (2014). Consultation. In Advanced practice nursing: An integrative approach (5th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Saunders/Elsevier.
O'Connell, J., Gardner, G., & Coyer, F. (2014). Beyond competencies: using a capability framework in developing practice standards for advanced practice nursing. Journal of advanced nursing, 70(12), 2728-2735.
