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Nurses’ perceptions of physiotherapists as rehabilitation team members

School of Health and Social Sciences, Coventry University, Coventry, UK

Julius Sim

Department of Physiotherapy Studies, Keele University, Keele, UK

Objective: To investigate nurses’ perceptions of physiotherapists as members of the rehabilitation team. This study arose from the current emphasis that is placed on good multidisciplinary teamwork for effective rehabilitation and the awareness that different team members often have different perceptions of their respective roles within the team.

Design: Semi-structured interviews, the results of which were then subject to content analysis.

Setting and subjects: Experienced rehabilitation nurses in two rehabilitation wards within a National Health Service Trust.

Results: Nurses perceived the role of physiotherapists as being concerned with mobility and movement, and valued the therapists’ knowledge and skills in these areas. They felt, however, that physiotherapists had insufficient understanding of the demands and pressures of nursing practice and lacked recognition of the nurses’ professional autonomy in decision-making in rehabilitation. Nurses viewed nursing and physiotherapy as two quite distinct and different roles within rehabilitation, despite some role overlap. Physiotherapy was perceived as specific and measurable, while nursing was perceived as generalized and undefined. These perceptions extended to their views on patient–staff interactions and organizational structures. Some of the differences, such as organizational structures, created barriers to rehabilitation. Others, such as physiotherapy expertise in mobility, were valued for their contribution to rehabilitation. Areas were identified where the two professions can assist each other in professional skills.

Conclusion: Nurses valued the role and contribution of physiotherapists, but identified areas in which barriers existed to effective interprofessional working, particularly in relation to organizational factors and interprofessional relationships.

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