Nurse, physician, and consumer role responsibility perceived by health care providers

The article describes a study that addressed perceptions of unilateral and egalitarian role functions for nurses, physicians, and consumers in a long-term, 345-bed psychiatric facility in the western United States. Findings indicated that physicians desired to retain authority for health care decisions and that nurses, social workers, and hospital administrators preferred collaborative practice. Support for shared responsibility increased among psychiatric technicians with years of experience. Experience did not alter the attitudes of physicians, occupational therapists, and recreational therapists for physician dominance. With experience, nurses increased their belief in nurse responsibility. Despite evidence for collaborative decision making, results of this study indicate that attitudes of health care providers may prevent this tenet from being actualized.