Attitudes toward physician-nurse collaboration in anesthesia. 2009

Cassandra L Taylor
Charleston Area Medical Center, School of Nurse Anesthesia, Charleston, West Virginia, USA. cassy.taylor@camc.org

The purpose of this study was to compare the attitudes of anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists toward collaboration with each other. Data for this descriptive, comparative study were gathered through a mailed survey to 501 nurse anesthetists and 353 anesthesiologists licensed to practice in 7 state of the United States. Attitude toward collaboration was measured using an adaptation of the Jefferson Scale of Attitudes Toward Physician-Nurse Collaboration. The mean total scores were compared using the t test for independent groups. Mean total scores were higher for the nurse anesthetist group (n = 238) compared with the anesthesiologist group (n = 66). Analysis demonstrated that this difference was significant (t = 14.6, P < .05). Additional analyses failed to show a significant difference based on sexual gender. The results of this study provide some evidence that the divergent perspectives regarding collaboration previously demonstrated between physicians and nurses may also exist in the specialty field of anesthesia. This study provided no support for the supposition that gender contributes to the differences in attitude toward collaboration between physicians and nurses.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D008503 Medical Staff Professional medical personnel who provide care to patients in an organized facility, institution or agency. Medical Staffs,Staff, Medical,Staffs, Medical
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D009719 Nurse Anesthetists Professional nurses who have completed postgraduate training in the administration of anesthetics. Anesthetist, Nurse,Anesthetists, Nurse,Nurse Anesthetist
D009740 Nursing Staff Personnel who provide nursing service to patients in an organized facility, institution, or agency. Nursing Staffs,Staff, Nursing,Staffs, Nursing
D010819 Physician's Role The expected function of a member of the medical profession. Physicians' Role,Physician Role,Physician's Roles,Physicians Role,Physicians' Roles,Role, Physician's,Role, Physicians',Roles, Physician's,Roles, Physicians'
D003299 Cooperative Behavior The interaction of two or more persons or organizations directed toward a common goal which is mutually beneficial. An act or instance of working or acting together for a common purpose or benefit, i.e., joint action. (From Random House Dictionary Unabridged, 2d ed) Compliant Behavior,Behavior, Compliant,Behavior, Cooperative,Compliant Behaviors,Cooperative Behaviors
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults

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