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Acceptance of primary practitioner physiotherapists in an emergency department: a qualitative study of interprofessional collaboration within workforce reform

journal contribution
posted on 2017-01-01, 00:00 authored by J Coyle, Stephen GillStephen Gill
Primary contact practitioner physiotherapists (PPs) are increasingly common in emergency departments (EDs) and provide targeted care to people with uncomplicated musculoskeletal conditions such as sprains, strains, and simple fractures. Workforce redesign can be challenging and success is influenced by staff attitude and opinion. The current study aimed to explore the experiences and perceptions of ED team members about a recently introduced PP service on existing staff and services in a large regional ED. Forty-two staff from eight professional groups participated in semi-structured interviews or focus groups which were audio recorded and field notes were taken. Data were transcribed verbatim and subsequently underwent thematic analysis. Acceptance emerged as one key theme. Acceptance of the PP service by ED staff was not automatic, unconditional, or implied and represented a continuum from PPs being tolerated as transient visitors to being subsumed as integrated members of the ED team. Acceptance of the service and its members was contingent upon the PPs demonstrating three interdependent qualities: being trustworthy, valuing learning, and complementing (not competing with) ED practices to achieve ED goals. Given that staff acceptance was crucial for the successful integration and performance of the service, understanding and manipulating the factors that influence acceptance might increase the likelihood of successfully implementing PP services in EDs. The results might also be applied to facilitate workforce reform in other settings.

History

Journal

Journal of interprofessional care

Volume

31

Pagination

226-232

Location

Abingdon, Eng.

ISSN

1356-1820

eISSN

1469-9567

Language

eng

Publication classification

C Journal article, C1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Copyright notice

2017, Taylor & Francis

Issue

2

Publisher

Taylor & Francis