Oncology nurses' experience of collaboration: A case study

Area of Science:

• Nursing Science
• Healthcare Management
• Qualitative Research

Background:

• Healthcare system changes promote nurse-led teams and collaboration.
• Oncology nurses have a history of teamwork, but their collaborative experiences are understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore and describe oncology nurses' collaboration experiences.
• To identify factors influencing collaboration among oncology nurses.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative case study design.
• Data collected via individual telephone interviews and document reviews from 14 oncology nurses in Canada.
• Participants were registered nurses or nurse practitioners in oncology roles.

Main Results:

• Thematic analysis identified two key themes: 'Art of dancing together' (facilitators) and 'stumbling point' (barriers).
• Facilitators included regular interaction, existing relationships, oncology experience, and interpersonal skills.
• Barriers involved role ambiguity, organizational leadership, and multi-generational differences.

Conclusions:

• Collaboration is a complex process not occurring spontaneously.
• Nursing leadership must foster opportunities for relationship-building to enhance collaboration.
• Individual nurses need willingness and interpersonal skills to maintain collaborative relationships despite differences.