Knowledge of the patient as decision-making power: staff members' perceptions of
interprofessional collaboration in challenging situations in psychiatric inpatient care
Sammanfattning
Challenging situations in psychiatric inpatient settings
call for interprofessional collaboration, but the roles and
responsibilities held by members of different professions
is unclear. The aim of this study was to describe staff
members’ perceptions of interprofessional collaboration
in the context of challenging situations in psychiatric
inpatient care. Prior to the study taking place, ethical
approval was granted. Focus group interviews were conducted
with 26 physicians, ward managers, psychiatric
nurses, and nursing assistants. These interviews were
then transcribed and analysed using qualitative content
analysis. Results described participants’ perceptions of
shared responsibilities, profession-specific responsibilities
and professional approaches. In this, recognising knowledge
of the patient as decision-making power was understood to
be a recurring theme. This is a delimited qualitative study
that reflects the specific working conditions of the participants
at the time the study was conducted. The findings
suggest that nursing assistants are the most influential
professionals due to their closeness to and first-hand
knowledge of patients. The results also point to the possibility
of other professionals gaining influence by getting
closer to patients and utilising their professional knowledge,
thus contributing to a more person-centred care. Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons.