There are, of course, many individuals besides nurses that are essential parts of medical teams when it comes to providing effective and efficient care to patients. General practitioners (GPs) are primarily tasked with determining diagnoses and developing treatment plans for their patients, and with coordinating the efforts of the rest of the medical team (Thomas & Corney 1993). Specialists such as dieticians, diabetes educators, and physicians that practice in highly specialized fields all have their own niches that most patients require service in at some point in their lives. Nurses can support all of these roles without assuming them themselves.

From a nursing perspective, teamwork in the provision of medical services and overall patient care is heavily predicated upon mutual respect amongst the team members and acknowledgement of the competencies and skills brought to the group by each team member (Thomas & Corney 1993). Teams function most effectively when the...
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