Teamwork is more than just talk: Effective interprofessional working is learned through experience and time

Abstract

NET 2016 Theme paper abstract Theme: Interprofessional learning and working/Research in healthcare education Title: Teamwork is more than just talk: Effective interprofessional working is learned through experience and time. Key words: interprofessional collaboration; professional attributes; healthcare teams; role perception; Contribution to knowledge development: • team working in complex healthcare contexts • leadership in healthcare teams • aligning learning and practice experiences Previous presentations and publications have addressed the issues that emerged from qualitative data analysed using an activity theory framework (Barrow et al 2014). A subsequent data gathering phase used a questionnaire survey to compare responses from nurses (n=113) and doctors (n=34) working at a senior level with most nurses at the nurse specialist or consultant level and doctors at registrar or consultant level. Respondents were asked to rank on a 5 point likert scale from ‘Strongly Agree’ to ‘Strongly Disagree’ statements about their views of themselves as health professionals practicing in interprofessional settings, such as ‘I want to be seen as someone who other health professionals value working with’ and ‘I will challenge decisions made by senior members of other health professions if I think this is needed.’ A second part of the survey asked both groups to consider a list of attributes of both doctors and nurses and to indicate their level of agreement with statements such as ‘Cooperates willingly with other health professionals’ and ‘Is an advocate for patients’. Demographic data was also collected including gender, ethnicity, years since registration, current role and years in that role, geographic location of work and the specialty or service in which the role is located. This presentation summarises the results of the survey questionnaire and offers for discussion the findings that may inform the ongoing development of interprofessional education and working. It also considers the difference between the results of this survey and another reported elsewhere (Barrow et al 2010) that compared a group of ‘junior’ (recently registered) nurses and doctors and their perceptions of the others roles. The ‘junior’ health professionals had been educated in a context of increasing awareness of the contribution interprofessional education should make to team work in healthcare; the ‘seniors’ have developed the skills of teamwork and collaboration ‘at the bedside’. References: • BARROW, M.; GASQUOINE, S.; MCKIMM, J.; & ROWE, D. 2014. Collaborating in healthcare delivery: Exploring conceptual differences at the ‘bedside’. Journal of Interprofessional Care, • BARROW, M., MCKIMM, J., & GASQUOINE, S. 2010. The policy and the practice: early-career doctors and nurses as leaders and followers in the delivery of healthcare. Advances in Health Sciences Education, 16(1), 17-29 • GASQUOINE, S., ROWE, D., BARROW, M., & MCKIMM, J. 2013. Can activity theory help us better understand the nature of interprofessional work in complex health care settings?. 24th International Networking for Healthcare Education Conference, C