The Braver journal
Braver talk: what do the professionals think?
When we decided to do Braver Talk, the thought came to us naturally. A little voice inside us told us that this was the way to go and we ventured in with enthusiasm and a backpack full of ideas. We set about preparing for this beautiful evening and that is when the stress took hold of our confidence. We knew it was the right way, but we were afraid of doing it the wrong way. Doing it right meant investing a lot of time and money. But was it a good investment? And although healthcare professionals are passionate about our mission, would they be as motivated when we asked them to do something tangible and invest their time in Braver?
Marie-Lou Gagnon
Yes, they would! We are proud to say that our healthcare system is home to healthcare professionals who not only share the values of collaboration, but who aspire to take it to the next level and are willing to invest the time to do so. The healthcare professionals who came to the first Braver Talk were motivated, committed and, above all, happy to be there to share and contribute. They spoke with generosity, transparency and open-mindedness.
This transparency was necessary so that the professionals could explain the difficulties, fears and setbacks they were experiencing with regard to collaboration. The concept of interprofessional collaboration is inspiring and beautiful in theory, but practice may be different. Healthcare professionals are all extremely busy and often have to invest unpaid time to collaborate and communicate with each other. This work environment sometimes creates frustration and burnout with the healthcare system. The incompatibility of work schedules between different professionals also makes it very difficult for them to collaborate effectively. Likewise, the interpretation of the code of ethics and the regulations surrounding patient consent are also elements that complicate the context of collaboration. But beyond these legal, procedural and temporal limits, health professionals have also identified human limitations. Many pointed out that sometimes the unwillingness of some professionals to collaborate was also a major obstacle. The same is true with respect and recognition of the expertise of other professionals. The challenge is great and the professionals confirmed this to us. Even though they all try to put the patient at the heart of this collaboration, the clinical reality shows us that several obstacles change the rules of the game.
Despite all these difficulties, a great beauty lies in the fact that professionals still aspire to collaborate more to provide better patient care. Everyone sees the relevance of creating a technological solution such as Braver. There is a strong desire for more and better interprofessional collaboration. They want convenience, ease of use and access to secure communication. They want to be recognized for their expertise, be listened to by other professionals and be more productive in their practice. They aspire to be connected with a community of professionals who share the same values of collaboration and with whom they can help each other to better care for their patients. They have fears, they have fears, but they still have this openness to embrace change. And the demonstration of this willingness to participate in change was more than inspiring: it reflected the message that Braver has been carrying since the beginning of its existence.
How many people in Quebec want this change? Some would say not enough. But we believe there is a whole generation of professionals who are ready to change; they want to help, collaborate and learn from each other while putting the patient at the heart of the process. Now the question is whether we will be able to generate more interest with a second Braver Talk. We know that we want to replicate the experience, either by continuing in Quebec City or by repeating the same Braver Talk in the regions. We'd love to hear from you! What do you think about it?