Advanced practice nurses leading the way: Interprofessional collaboration

Healthcare delivery has become increasingly complex and fragmented. Leading healthcare organizations, such as the Institute of Medicine and the World Health Organization, have recognized that interprofessional collaboration is essential to improve healthcare delivery. The process of integrating interprofessional collaboration is complex and involves overcoming historical hierarchical factors and professional boundaries. The integration of interprofessional education in healthcare professions can help to alleviate these barriers. Furthermore, the inclusion of transformational leadership competencies in nursing education will help to prepare future nurses for leadership roles in collaborative practice. Nursing leaders must be prepared with foundational transformational leadership competencies in order to meet the challenges of leading collaboratively with other professions. The purpose of this manuscript is to explore the concept of interprofessional collaboration, its benefits, historical challenges, and barriers. In addition, interprofessional education and the role of nursing leadership in the implementation of interprofessional collaboration in healthcare practice are explored.