Perceptions that affect physician-nurse collaboration in the perioperative setting

Physician-nurse collaboration is crucial for safe patient care, particularly in the complex setting of the surgical arena. In this study, the Jefferson Scale of Attitudes Toward Physician-Nurse Collaboration was used to measure physicians' and nurses' perceptions and attitudes toward collaboration in the surgical setting and to determine whether there were differences in these perceptions based on gender, nursing specialty, or length of experience. Results showed that nurses had a more positive attitude toward collaboration than did physicians. Differences in attitudes based on gender could not be determined, and nursing specialty was not a significant factor. Length of experience, however, proved to have an interesting influence.