Emergency nurses’ attitudes toward interprofessional collaboration and teamwork and their affecting factors: A cross-sectional study

Background: The emergency department (ED) is a multidisciplinary department and seriously needs interprofessional collaboration (IPC). Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the emergency nurses’ attitudes toward IPC and teamwork and their affecting factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 138 emergency nurses working in teaching hospitals affiliated to Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran, from January to April 2019. Data were collected using a three-part questionnaire including a demographic data sheet, the Jefferson Scale of Attitudes toward Physician-Nurse Collaboration, and the Testing Team Attitude Questionnaire. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, analysis of variance, and multivariate regression analysis. Results: The majority of the study participants were female (68.1%), in the age range of 30–40 years old (44.2%), and had a working experience of 1–5 years in the ED (63.8%). The mean scores of nurses’ attitudes toward IPC and teamwork were 48.68 ± 5.14 and 96.15 ± 8.97, respectively. A direct and strong correlation was found between nurses’ attitudes toward IPC and teamwork (r = 0.594, P = 0.001). Regression analysis showed that, among all variables, only the participants’ employment status (compulsory governmental services, P < 0.031 and B = 2.356), overall work experience between 1 and 5 years (P < 0.001 and B = -3.769), and the attitude toward teamwork (P < 0.001 and B = 0.350) could significantly predict nurses’ attitude toward IPC. Conclusion: The attitudes of emergency nurses toward IPC and teamwork were at an optimal level. Nurses’ belief in IPC and especially belief in nurse–physician collaboration plays an important role in providing quality care and keeping patient safety in ED. Joint in-service workshops on the philosophy and principles of IPC and teamwork for nurses and physicians working in EDs can further strengthen the IPC.