Working together--primary care doctors' and nurses' attitudes to collaboration

Area of Science:

• Healthcare collaboration
• Primary care dynamics
• Professional attitudes

Background:

• Multidisciplinary teamwork is increasingly recommended for managing complex health issues and modern healthcare demands.
• Previous attempts to integrate this approach in primary care have faced challenges, notably resistance from general practitioners (GPs).
• Understanding the attitudes of GPs and district nurses (DNs) towards collaboration is crucial for effective implementation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To measure and compare attitudes towards collaboration between general practitioners (GPs) and district nurses (DNs).
• To explore the correlation between a positive attitude towards collaboration and professional self-esteem among GPs and DNs.
• To identify differences in attitudes based on professional roles, gender, and age.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Jefferson Scale of Attitudes toward Physician Nurse Collaboration and the Professional Self-Description Form (PSDF).
• Surveyed a cohort of 600 general practitioners (GPs) and district nurses (DNs) in the Västra Götaland region.
• Analyzed differences in attitudes between DNs and GPs, and within subgroups (male/female GPs, younger/older DNs and GPs).

Main Results:

• A total of 401 responses were analyzed.
• District nurses (DNs) reported significantly more positive attitudes towards collaboration (mean 51.7) compared to general practitioners (GPs) (mean 49.4).
• No significant differences in attitudes were found between younger and older, or male and female GPs. DNs also scored higher on the PSDF, indicating greater professional self-esteem.

Conclusions:

• District nurses exhibit a slightly more positive stance on collaboration than general practitioners.
• A positive attitude toward collaboration appears more ingrained in the professional identity of DNs than GPs.
• Professional norms, rather than gender roles, seem to exert a greater influence on collaborative attitudes, with DNs demonstrating higher professional confidence.