Consultation involves discussing or conferring with experts, and the act of consulting entails seeking advice, guidance, or opinions from individuals with authority or specific qualifications. Essentially, consultation involves professionals with specific expertise (consultants) assisting others (consultees) based on their professional needs.
There are four types of consultation:
1) Client-centered case consultation
2) Consultee-centered consultation
3) Countermeasure-centered management consultation
4) Consultee-centered management consultation
Consultation establishes a relationship between a consultant who possesses expertise in a particular domain and a consultee who faces a challenge in this domain and seeks assistance. To enable consultants to address problems and effect change, it is crucial to leverage resources, including capabilities, human resources, and financial support, both within and outside the organization.
The consultation process typically involves the following steps:
1) Assessment
2) Problem identification
3) Implementation of solutions
4) Evaluation and conclusion
The aim is to equip consultants with the essential skills to address similar issues, if necessary, in the future. In Japan, consultation is recognized as a function of professional nurses, particularly in specialized fields of nursing, and has evolved to become more sophisticated.
- Nozue, S. (2004). Liaison psychiatric nursing: For patient care and nurse support. Ishiyaku Publishing.
- Schein, E. H. (2002). Process consultation: Building supporting relationships (Inaba, M., & Ogawa, J., Trans.). Hakuto Shobo.
- Underwood, P. R. (1995). Overview of consultation: From the consultant’s perspective (Katsuhara, Y., Trans.). International Nursing Review, 18(5), 4–12.