Collaboration and autonomy: perceptions among nurse practitioners.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Practice
• Healthcare Collaboration
• Advanced Practice Nursing

Background:

• Collaboration between nurse practitioners (NPs) and physicians is recognized for improving health outcomes and professional satisfaction.
• Understanding the interplay between NP autonomy and collaborative practice is crucial for optimizing healthcare delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between nurse practitioners' perceptions of collaboration with physician colleagues and their level of practice autonomy.
• This descriptive study aimed to quantify the perceived levels of these two key aspects of NP practice.

Main Methods:

• A convenience sample of 99 NPs participated in the study.
• Participants completed the Dempster Practice Behavior Scale (DPBS) and a modified Collaborative Practice Scale.
• Data were collected from NPs attending a national clinical conference.

Main Results:

• Nurse practitioners reported high levels of perceived collaboration with physician colleagues.
• NPs also reported high levels of practice autonomy.
• No statistically significant correlation was found between perceived collaboration and autonomy.

Conclusions:

• Despite high self-reported levels, perceived collaboration and autonomy in NP practice are not significantly related.
• Further investigation is warranted to elucidate the complex dynamics between NP collaboration and autonomy.
• Understanding these relationships is essential for enhancing NP roles and healthcare quality.