Nurse/Resident Reciprocal Shadowing to Improve Interprofessional Communication

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Healthcare Quality Improvement
• Interprofessional Collaboration

Background:

• Poor communication is a leading cause of sentinel events in hospitals.
• Suboptimal communication between physicians and nurses can stem from a lack of understanding of team roles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of a reciprocal shadowing experience on nurse-resident interprofessional collaboration.
• To assess changes in bidirectional communication and role perceptions between nurses and residents.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-methods study involving first-year residents and nurses at two academic children's hospitals.
• Participants completed a 4-hour structured, reciprocal shadowing experience.
• Surveys (Interprofessional Collaborative Competency Attainment Survey and qualitative questions) were administered before, immediately after, and 6 months post-shadowing.

Main Results:

• Immediate post-shadowing surveys showed significant improvements in collaborative competency for both nurses and residents.
• Sustained improvements were observed 6 months after the shadowing intervention.
• Qualitative analysis revealed key themes: effective communication, collaboration, role understanding, team process, and patient-centeredness.

Conclusions:

• Reciprocal shadowing enhanced participants' understanding of interprofessional team members' contributions.
• Improved awareness is likely to positively impact patient care.
• Further research is needed to assess broader clinical impact and patient outcomes.