Conceptual development of nurse-physician collaboration

The concept of nurse-physician collaboration has significance in today's changing health care environment. Two camps' views concerning nurse-physician collaboration are presented. Camp I supports nurse-physician collaboration using four indicators: (1) mutual power-control, (2) separate and combined practice spheres, (3) mutual concerns, and (4) common patient goals. Camp II takes a totally different approach and describes the structure that must be present before collaboration may exist. The literature supports the use of both camps' views in developing measures for the concept of collaboration. Once these aspects of collaboration can be accurately measured then recommendations can be made concerning changes needed in health care delivery systems to effect outcomes.