The Middle Phase: Coordinating, Cooperating, and Compromising

During the second stage, partners agree to work together, or even to take turns. There is an emerging sense of respect and belief in the power of joint problem-solving. Service delivery becomes more coordinated and there is less duplication of services, along with fewer of the collisions that marked the initial phase of the partnership. Parents are better at asking the nurse to explain more about her ideas, rather than rejecting them out of hand.

Nurses and parents both can put aside their personal platforms and identify common areas. This phase of parent/professional relationships is satisfying for the partners, and effective in developing strong, cohesive plans to promote the child’s well-being. Mutual trust and problem-solving skills improve exponentially, and the partners can move on to the third phase of the partnership.