Enhancing Nurse-Resident Physician Partnerships

Abstract

Literature has long suggested that collaboration and interprofessional communication are associated with improved provider satisfaction, patient satisfaction, and the provision of individualized care. More recent literature has documented the favorable influence of a collaborative culture on patient outcomes. In response to the growing need for enhanced nurse-physician partnership and recognition of its impact on the patient experience, nurses are designing unit-based programs to bring the two professions together for opportunities to enhance partnership. This article discusses two approaches to enhancing nurse-resident physician partnership introduced by Benike and Clark (2013) and identifies common elements that were critical to the programs' success.