Organizational support and Nurse–Physician collaboration during SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic: A qualitative study

Abstract

Health care professionals experienced multiple uncertainties during the pandemic. Exploring health care professionals' views about collaboration and organizational support can offer insights into organizational processes and issues during the pandemic. This research explored the perspectives of nurses and physicians about organizational support and nurse–physician collaboration during the SARS‐CoV‐2 pandemic. Using a qualitative descriptive design, interviews were conducted with nurses and physicians working in hospital settings. The interviews lasted for 24–61 min. Reflexive thematic analysis was used for data analysis. Nurses and physicians were disappointed with the organizational support, but they were satisfied with nurse‐physician collaboration. The theme “Management Abusing Authority and Blaming the Victimized Workforce” included organizational nepotism, unethical managerial actions, and neglecting frontline workforce. Nurses and physicians supported each other in tackling the intensive and complex demands of the pandemic. The theme “Demonstrating Professional Humility and Overcoming Patient Care Issues at Hand” entailed subthemes ‐ negotiating conflicts and prioritizing patient care, practicing kindness, and jointly managing conflicts with patients' families. Nurses and physicians reported frustrations with limited organizational support and abusive practices of managers. Still, they prioritized patient care needs and family‐related conflicts over interprofessional tensions.

Effects of interprofessional practice on nursing workload in hospitals: A systematic review

“…66,67 Interprofessional training allows the recognition of different professional roles and the improvement of communication, facilitating collaborative practices. 68 It is important to mention that faced with the uncertainties and complex care needs for patients/families in the recent pandemic, physicians and nurses strengthened conflict resolution practices, 6,69 but it is not possible to say whether this behaviour was sustained. Furthermore, in recent research, Norwegian physicians and nurses aimed at greater collaboration and better interprofessional communication, but the lack of spaces for meetings, discussions, and limited time for the various activities undertaken made this action unfeasible.…”