Interprofessional Collaboration and the New Graduate Nurse: A Mixed Methods Exploration

Abstract

<p><strong>Background. </strong>Interprofessional collaboration is a cogent strategy to promote retention and safe, quality nursing care among new graduate nurses. This sandwich thesis describes a research project undertaken to understand how new graduate nurses engage in interprofessional collaboration.</p> <p><strong>Objective. </strong>The aim was to comprehensively understand the individual, team, and organizational factors that influence new graduate nurse engagement in interprofessional collaboration.</p> <p><strong>Methods. </strong>An integrative review of the new graduate nurse literature was conducted within the context of interprofessional collaboration. Applying the Structuration Model of Interprofessional Collaboration as a framework, a mixed methods study examined the team and organizational predictors of new graduate nurse engagement in interprofessional collaboration, and explored factors that influenced confidence among new graduate nurses toward interprofessional collaboration. Quantitative data were collected via mailed surveys. Follow-up interviews were conducted to explain the quantitative findings.</p> <p><strong>Results. </strong>The integrative review revealed individual, team, and organizational factors that were reported to influence new graduate nurse engagement in interprofessional collaboration. The review concluded a gap in the current knowledge of the issue, and literature that was weak to moderate in quality. The team and organizational predictors of new graduate nurse engagement in interprofessional collaboration were: satisfaction with the team, number of team strategies, participation in a mentorship or preceptorship experience, accessibility of manager, and accessibility and proximity of educator or professional practice leader. The interviews revealed respect, team support, and face-to-face interprofessional interactions as team facilitators. Supportive leadership and preceptorship or mentorships were organizational facilitators. Several variables had a relationship with new graduate nurse confidence in interprofessional collaboration. A model that explains this confidence was developed from the qualitative findings.</p> <p><strong>Conclusion. </strong>The Structuration Model of Interprofessional Collaboration was a valuable</p> <p>framework for understanding the structural elements of new graduate nurse engagement in interprofessional collaboration. This thesis identifies implications for education, practice and research.</p>