Interprofessional collaboration among nurses and physicians in Lebanon

Abstract

This cross-sectional mixed-methods study includes description of nurse-physician collaboration in Lebanon and comparison of perceptions of collaborative practice experiences of nurses and physicians. Online surveys were completed by 223 Registered Nurses (RNs) and 60 Physicians (MDs) currently practicing in in-hospital settings in Lebanon. The Nurse-Physician Collaboration scale, demographic and background items, and four open-ended questions were included in the survey. Descriptive and comparative statistical analyses, correlations, and categorical analyses were conducted. RNs reported significantly less frequency of collaboration than MDs (t = 2.62, p = 0.009). Females reported significantly less collaboration frequency than males (t = −3.44, p = 0.001). Stratifying by gender, male MDs reported the highest collaboration compared with male RNs (t = 2.25; p = 0.027). RNs with graduate degrees reported the least collaboration compared to holders of Bachelor's degrees and technical diplomas (F = 4.00, p = 0.02). Across both professions, motivation was the most frequently perceived and highest ranked facilitator for collaboration, and time pressure was the most frequently perceived and top ranked barrier. Of those who responded to an open-ended question, the majority of respondents (58.5%) shared a positive recent experience of nurse-physician collaboration, and 85% of responses to another question identified achievement of best quality patient outcomes as a perceived benefit of nurse-physician collaboration. Strategies that enhance the identified facilitators, overcome barriers, and equip nurses and physicians to collaborate should be implemented within hospitals in Lebanon.