Exploring interprofessional collaboration in the intensive care unit

Background: Critical care units require an interprofessional management approach to optimise patients’ health. Clinical education and training delivered in remote healthcare settings are vital for fostering interprofessional collaboration (IPC) among health science students for future team functioni...

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Main Authors: Meluleki S. Thethwayo, Pat Camp, Diane Van Staden, Verusia Chetty, Stacy Maddocks
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: AOSIS 2024-11-01
Series:South African Journal of Physiotherapy
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Online Access:https://sajp.co.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/2098
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author Meluleki S. Thethwayo
Pat Camp
Diane Van Staden
Verusia Chetty
Stacy Maddocks
author_facet Meluleki S. Thethwayo
Pat Camp
Diane Van Staden
Verusia Chetty
Stacy Maddocks
author_sort Meluleki S. Thethwayo
collection DOAJ
description Background: Critical care units require an interprofessional management approach to optimise patients’ health. Clinical education and training delivered in remote healthcare settings are vital for fostering interprofessional collaboration (IPC) among health science students for future team functioning. Objectives: Our study explored the IPC among clinicians in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting at two South African decentralised clinical training facilities to understand the existing collaborative practices that students are exposed to during their clinical training. Method: A qualitative study design, utilising semi-structured interviews, was used to gather information on the experiences of 40 purposively selected participants working in the ICU settings at the two clinical sites. Data collected from the interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. Results: Four major themes were identified from the data, namely, scope-of-practice dispute, teamwork disruption, organisational obstacles and future aspirations. Conclusion: Participants believed that a lack of professional regard by medical doctors and an inadequate understanding of the role of other professionals impeded appropriate referral practice and collaborative team functioning. Under-exposure to interprofessional education (IPE) at an undergraduate level and the pervasive medical hierarchy were perceived as a primary attributable cause of this phenomenon. Moreover, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and persistent staff shortages purportedly obstructed potential opportunities to collaborate in multidisciplinary meetings. Participants believed that improving undergraduate IPE and compulsory multidisciplinary meetings to promote communication would improve team functioning in these clinical settings. Clinical Implications: Undergraduate IPE is a feasible approach to improve collaborative care in ICUs to achieve better patient outcomes.
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spelling doaj-art-d887029a0dde4e7a8a65d77f93ec47982025-08-20T02:50:34ZengAOSISSouth African Journal of Physiotherapy0379-61752410-82192024-11-01801e1e910.4102/sajp.v80i1.20981590Exploring interprofessional collaboration in the intensive care unitMeluleki S. Thethwayo0Pat Camp1Diane Van Staden2Verusia Chetty3Stacy Maddocks4Discipline of Physiotherapy, School of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, DurbanCentre for Heart Lung Innovation, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; and Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of British Columbia, VancouverDiscipline of Physiotherapy, School of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa; and Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health and Social Development, University of British Columbia, OkanaganDiscipline of Physiotherapy, School of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, DurbanDiscipline of Physiotherapy, School of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa; Centre for Heart Lung Innovation, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; and Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of British Columbia, VancouverBackground: Critical care units require an interprofessional management approach to optimise patients’ health. Clinical education and training delivered in remote healthcare settings are vital for fostering interprofessional collaboration (IPC) among health science students for future team functioning. Objectives: Our study explored the IPC among clinicians in the intensive care unit (ICU) setting at two South African decentralised clinical training facilities to understand the existing collaborative practices that students are exposed to during their clinical training. Method: A qualitative study design, utilising semi-structured interviews, was used to gather information on the experiences of 40 purposively selected participants working in the ICU settings at the two clinical sites. Data collected from the interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. Results: Four major themes were identified from the data, namely, scope-of-practice dispute, teamwork disruption, organisational obstacles and future aspirations. Conclusion: Participants believed that a lack of professional regard by medical doctors and an inadequate understanding of the role of other professionals impeded appropriate referral practice and collaborative team functioning. Under-exposure to interprofessional education (IPE) at an undergraduate level and the pervasive medical hierarchy were perceived as a primary attributable cause of this phenomenon. Moreover, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and persistent staff shortages purportedly obstructed potential opportunities to collaborate in multidisciplinary meetings. Participants believed that improving undergraduate IPE and compulsory multidisciplinary meetings to promote communication would improve team functioning in these clinical settings. Clinical Implications: Undergraduate IPE is a feasible approach to improve collaborative care in ICUs to achieve better patient outcomes.https://sajp.co.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/2098intensive careinterprofessional collaborationinterprofessional educationclinicianscovid-19multidisciplinary team
spellingShingle Meluleki S. Thethwayo
Pat Camp
Diane Van Staden
Verusia Chetty
Stacy Maddocks
Exploring interprofessional collaboration in the intensive care unit
South African Journal of Physiotherapy
intensive care
interprofessional collaboration
interprofessional education
clinicians
covid-19
multidisciplinary team
title Exploring interprofessional collaboration in the intensive care unit
title_full Exploring interprofessional collaboration in the intensive care unit
title_fullStr Exploring interprofessional collaboration in the intensive care unit
title_full_unstemmed Exploring interprofessional collaboration in the intensive care unit
title_short Exploring interprofessional collaboration in the intensive care unit
title_sort exploring interprofessional collaboration in the intensive care unit
topic intensive care
interprofessional collaboration
interprofessional education
clinicians
covid-19
multidisciplinary team
url https://sajp.co.za/index.php/sajp/article/view/2098
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AT verusiachetty exploringinterprofessionalcollaborationintheintensivecareunit
AT stacymaddocks exploringinterprofessionalcollaborationintheintensivecareunit