Becoming a nurse

Interdisciplinary vs. interprofessional

I finished successfully my first practical nursing training and after a two week break I've started my 3rd semester in nursing studies today. That's why the next chapters will tell you more about how's studing nursing rather than practical inputs. It is an experiment and I hope it'll be even interesting to read. Just comment if you disagree. But then you have to wait till February 2017, then's my next practical training ;)

Today we learnt that it is a big mistake when you say interdisciplinary if you mean something is interprofessional. In this chapter I'm going to explain why.

Both words sound alike but they have a slight different meaning.

Lesson number one: never say interdisciplinary if you mean interprofessional.

Lesson number two: be critical. If you hear one of those two words, always keep in mind that the person who's using it could probably mean the other thing.

In daily business both words are often used as synonyms, but they really aren't. Here are the definitions I've learnt at university:

Interdisciplinarity stands for cooperation within a profession.

Interprofessionality stands for cooperation between different professions.

In a clinical setting this means that a patient who's broken his leg and who's suffering a chronical kidney disease is an interdisciplinary case. He is treated by orthopaedists and nephrologists. They are from the same profession but are specialised in different disciplines.

But when you're looking from a different point of view he is an interprofessional case, too. For being able to go home he needs some physiotherapy. The physiotherapist will show him some exercises to strengthen the muscles of the operated leg and how to walk with crutches.

And don't forget the nurses who are there 24h for pain management, personal hygiene and special needs.

Doctors, nurses and physiotherapists are all different professions. That's why this is interprofessional cooperation.

Lesson number three: it always depends on which angle you are looking on a situation, which term is more suitable.

The conclusion out of this is, that's relevant to differ between the two terms, even if it only seems a small difference. But most importantly is, that every profession uses the two terms in the same way. That guarantees a better teamwork and lowers the risk of misunderstanding.

Do you know both terms in your country? Or another one I haven't mentionned?

Does interprofessionally and interdisciplinary mean the same or something different? 

Please, let me know! I'm interested in your answers. :)