Which option represents the highest level of collaboration?

Question

1. The nurse, physician, and dietician have communicated individually with the client.
2. The nurse, physician, and dietician have all written an individual plan of care and included it in the client's medical record.
3. The nurse and physician have discussed the nutritional needs of the client and have referred the patient to the dietician for a nutritional plan and teaching.
4. The physician wrote a medical order for the nurse to contact dietary for a consult.

Answer 1

Correct Answer: 3

The highest level of collaboration is co-management and referral, whereby providers retain responsibility and accountability for their own aspects of care, and clients are directed to other providers when the problem is beyond the current caregiver's expertise. In this scenario, the option about the nurse and physician discussing the client's nutritional needs and referring nutritional care to the dietician reflects that level of collaboration. Communicating independently with the client, having separate plans of care, and the unilateral decision making (medical order) options reflect parallel communication and function, which are lower levels of collaboration.