[The integration between doctors and nurses in medical wards: the results of a survey]

Collaboration implies working together, communication, sharing decisions. A good doctors-nurses integration is the basis for reducing length of stay and improve health professionals' satisfaction.

This study analyzed the attitudes on collaboration (including factors that promote or hinder it) of a group of 16 nurses and 14 physicians working in two general medical wards of St. Chiara Hospital of Trento (North Italy).

Data were collected by semistructured interview and with the Jefferson Scale of attitudes toward physician-nurse collaboration.

There is overall a good attitude to collaboration. Doctors and nurses are aware of nurses' role in health care and psychological support and favour interdisciplinary education. Interdisciplinary rounds are widely considered the best organizational cunning and "clinical and care skills" the best professional ability to improve collaboration between nurses and physicians.