The interprofessional collaboration between nurses and speech-language pathologists working with patients diagnosed with dysphagia in skilled nursing facilities

Abstract

The speech-language pathologist (SLP) is the primary person responsible for the assessment and intervention of individuals with swallowing disorders. In skilled nursing facilities, both nurses and SLPs work closely with patients diagnosed with strokes. Aspiration pneumonia is the most common cause of death in patients diagnosed with dysphagia resulting from a stroke. Due to the large number of patients with dysphagia in healthcare facilities, it is pertinent that SLP and nurses collaborate during clinical practice to improve patient outcomes. This is a discussion paper emphasizing the importance of interprofessional collaboration. Due to increasing complexity of patient care, it is important to establish collaborations early in interdisciplinary healthcare training in order to improve quality of patient care. The interdisciplinary collaboration should become a standard for training healthcare professionals including nurses and speech-language pathologists in today’s complex healthcare system.