Balancing Ethical Uncertainty: The Dance of Interprofessional Roles

Interprofessional (IP) education has emerged globally as a means of improving overall healthcare quality, and to increase healthcare provider understanding of other roles. However, in situations of moral uncertainly, there are not clear procedures to address IP role interactions when tension and conflict emerge. This study reports secondary analysis findings from data in a large study related to moral distress in IP ethics consultations and collaborations. A basic qualitative, exploratory approach was utilized for data analysis with overtones of grounded theory. Eleven IP participants representing five disciplines comprised the sample. A model of IP role interaction was constructed from themes which were revealed to identify distinct facilitating actions and barriers as components of IP interactions serving to balance ethical decision making in the context of patient care. Specific role boundaries of the professions identified uncertainty as they interacted with multiple healthcare roles in patient care dilemmas.