Abstract
Background:Collaborative working between professionals is a key component of integrated care. The academic literature on it largely focuses either on integration between health and social care or on the dynamics of power and identity between doctors and nurses. With the proliferation and extension of nursing roles, there is a need to examine collaborative working amongst different types of nurses.Method:This study explored experiences of collaborative working amongst generalist and specialist nurses, in community and acute settings. We carried out semi-structured interviews, incorporating the Pictor technique, with 45 nurses, plus 33 other key stakeholders. Transcripts were analysed using Template Analysis. This article focuses on one major thematic area that emerged from the analysis: the significance of interpersonal relationships amongst nurses, and between them and other professionals, patients and carers.Results:Relationship issues were ubiquitous in participants’ accounts of collaborative working. Good personal relationships facilitated collaboration; face-to-face interaction was especially valued. Relationships were recognized as requiring effort, especially in new roles. Organisational changes could disrupt productive personal networks.Conclusion:Relationship issues are integral to successful collaborative working. Policy and practice leaders must take this into account in future service developments. Further research into collaborative relationships in different settings is needed.
Highlights
Collaboration between health and social care professionals has long been a concern of policy-makers worldwide [1], and is integral to integrated care [2, 3, 4]
The ubiquity of collaborative working and the consequent need to understand what leads to effective and ineffective practice highlight the need to build the research base in this area. This is underlined by evidence that failures in collaborative working are an important factor in health and social care errors [7], including some very high profile cases, such as the case of the death following prolonged abuse of the British infant known as “Baby Peter” [8]
This was more than just a matter of getting hold of the right person at the right time for specific input to care. It was very often framed in terms of relational aspects of collaboration, most in participants’ frequent comments on the value of face-to-face contact: Over the phone, it depends on your communication skills, often things are forgotten
Summary
Background Collaboration between health and social care professionals has long been a concern of policy-makers worldwide [1], and is integral to integrated care [2, 3, 4]. The ubiquity of collaborative working and the consequent need to understand what leads to effective and ineffective practice highlight the need to build the research base in this area. This is underlined by evidence that failures in collaborative working are an important factor in health and social care errors [7], including some very high profile cases, such as the case of the death following prolonged abuse of the British infant known as “Baby Peter” [8]. There is a wide range of terms that overlap, but are not entirely synonymous with, collaborative working. Further research into collaborative relationships in different settings is needed
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