Name: Bernardo, Lordwin John M.

Date: April 6, 2023

Section: BSN 2D-A

I. TITLE: Interprofessional collaboration between nurses and doctors for treating

patients in surgical wards
Author: Line Vatna and Berit Misund Dah
Source: JOURNAL OF INTERPROFESSIONAL CARE
Year of Publication: 2022

II. Summary
Interprofessional collaboration will be one of the main factors in the effort to increase patient safety in the coming
years. Research has identified several challenges to interprofessional collaboration between nurses and doctors,
where fragmentation of both education and clinical practice contributes to a strong affiliation to one’s own
profession with little emphasis on collaboration. The aim of this study was to generate more knowledge about how
nurses and doctors experience interprofessional collaboration in observation and treatment of patients on a surgical
ward. The study was conducted in 2018 and used an explorative qualitative design that was based on four semi-
structured focus group interviews. The respondents were 11 nurses and seven doctors with experience from different
surgical specialties and employed in three different surgical wards in a Norwegian hospital. The data were analyzed
using systematic text-condensation. The following three main categories, each with two subcategories, emerged: 1)
Organization and culture: a lack of interprofessional meeting places and experience-based hierarchy; 2)
Communication: use of communication tools and little room for professional discussions; and 3) Trust and respect:
dependence and recognition and a blurred distribution of responsibility. Both nurses and doctors wished for closer
interprofessional collaboration in observation and treatment in the surgical ward; however, organizational limitations
with few interprofessional meeting places and time pressure made this difficult.

III. Nursing Implications

A. To Nursing Practice
Effective communication between doctors and nurses is crucial in ensuring patient safety, timely and
accurate diagnosis, and appropriate treatment. During surgery, doctors and nurses must work together
seamlessly to ensure that all necessary equipment and medications are available, and that the patient is
properly monitored and cared for. The nurse will be responsible for monitoring the patient's vital signs
throughout the procedure, as well as administering medications as needed. Nurses will also ensure that all
equipment is functioning properly, and that the surgical site is kept clean and sterile. Effective communication
between doctors and nurses in the surgery ward is essential in ensuring that the patient receives the best
possible care. Miscommunication or misunderstandings can lead to errors or delays in treatment, which can
have serious consequences for the patient. Therefore, clear and concise communication between healthcare
professionals is critical in promoting patient safety and achieving optimal outcomes.
B. To Nursing Education
Interprofessional collaboration between nurses and doctors is essential for providing high-quality patient
care in surgical wards. Here are some ways to improve collaboration. Foster a culture of respect and trust,
building a culture of respect and trust between nurses and doctors is key to effective collaboration. This can be
achieved by creating opportunities for interdisciplinary interactions and building a shared understanding of the
importance of teamwork. Clearly define roles and responsibilities, clearly defining roles and responsibilities
can help to avoid misunderstandings and ensure that each team member knows what is expected of them.
Encourage interdisciplinary rounds, interdisciplinary rounds involve nurses and doctors meeting together to
review patient cases and discuss treatment plans. This can help to ensure that everyone is on the same page and
has a shared understanding of the patient's needs. By implementing these strategies, nurses and doctors can
work together more effectively to provide high-quality patient care in surgical wards.

C. To Nursing Research
Findings in this study indicates that traditional organization and culture contribute to the fact that nurses and
doctors still work more in parallel than together, and few common meeting places and time pressure hinder
collaboration. Further research that focuses on how traditional organization and culture in hospitals affects
interprofessional collaboration among nurses and doctors is necessary to increase understanding in this area.
This can help develop more theoretical models but also more practical models to improve conditions for
collaboration among professionals.

IV. Personal Insights

I agree to this study because I believe that traditional organization and culture in hospitals can impact
interprofessional collaboration between nurses and doctors positively or negatively. Positive effects include clarity
in roles and responsibilities, professionalism, teamwork, and patient-centered care. Negative effects include a
hierarchical structure, silos between departments, resistance to change, and inadequate communication. Healthcare
organizations should strive to balance the benefits of traditional culture and structure with a focus on open
communication, teamwork, and a willingness to adapt to new practices and technologies.