A Nurse Shadowing Program for Physicians: Bridging the Gap in Understanding Nursing Roles

A physician-nurse shadow program was established to improve interdisciplinary collaboration.

Ineffective communication between physicians and nurses leads to poor outcomes in patient satisfaction, safety, and associate engagement. Physician unfamiliarity of the nursing process is identified as a root cause.

First-year resident physicians shadowed nurses for a 4-hour shift. Residents did not function as a physician during the shadowing experience but participated in nursing workflow and tasks. Participants completed a Likert-scale rating and qualitative survey before and after the shift.

The survey measured confidence in communication and perception of workflow. Confidence levels increased in all areas by 29% for residents and 34% for nurses. Data demonstrated improved physician understanding of nursing workflow and inspired recommendations to enhance communication.

First-year resident physicians practiced direct communication skills and experienced hands-on nursing care during the shadow program. The initiative provided an environment for mutual learning and interdisciplinary relationship-building.