Implementing cooperative care on an acute care medical unit

Cooperative care is an approach to nursing care, based on Orem's self-care theory, that encourages patient self-care and family involvement in care giving. Patients and care partners (family members or friends) are taught by staff working on the unit. The model has been successfully implemented on acute care units at institutions across the nation. In March 1990, under the direction of our chief nurse, cooperative care was initiated at Dorn Veterans' Hospital as a part of a research project on a busy acute care medical unit. The model had already been piloted with success on the oncology unit of the institution. The purpose of this article is to describe patient, nursing, and pharmacy involvement during the implementation of cooperative care on a 40-bed acute care unit in a veteran population.