An Ethnographic Study of Interprofessional Collaboration in Palliative Care

Forsyth, Erin Christine

An Ethnographic Study of Interprofessional Collaboration in Palliative Care

dc.contributor.advisor	Raffin Bouchal, Donna Shelley
dc.contributor.author	Forsyth, Erin Christine
dc.contributor.committeemember	Sinclair, Shane Aaron
dc.contributor.committeemember	White, Deborah Elizabeth
dc.contributor.committeemember	Mather, Charles Maurice
dc.date	2024-05
dc.date.accessioned	2024-01-11T21:02:53Z
dc.date.available	2024-01-11T21:02:53Z
dc.date.issued	2024-01-09
dc.description.abstract	Background: The concept of the modern palliative care movement was initially developed by Cecily Saunders. She believed that the complex emotional, physical, and spiritual needs of dying patients and their families were best met by a team of professionals working together rather than a sole practitioner. Today local, national, and international definitions of palliative care remain grounded in the philosophy established by Saunders, where care is most effectively delivered by an interprofessional team working in a collaborative manner to support patient and family centred goals. Research Aim: The purpose of this study was to better understand the differences in interprofessional collaboration between palliative care teams in different clinical settings. The research questions were: 1) Do palliative care providers believe interprofessional collaboration is important? and 2) What are the contextual factors that act as either facilitators or barriers to the implementation of interprofessional collaboration in practice? Methods: A qualitative ethnographic methodology was used to understand the factors impacting interprofessional collaboration in three separate teams providing palliative care in different settings in a city in Western Canada. Data were collected and analyzed using Carspecken’s five step process for ethnographic research. Participant observation and focus groups were conducted with interprofessional team members responsible for providing direct care for palliative care patients/families. Findings: Five themes emerged from the data: Interprofessional Collaboration: A Central Tenet of Palliative Care; Interprofessional Communication: The Single Most Important Ingredient for Effective Interprofessional Collaboration; Professional Hierarchy Impacts Interprofessional Collaboration; Role Understanding and Valuing Others; and Facilitators and Barriers to Team Function. Discussion: Findings from this study can be used to better understand how individual, professional, and organizational culture impacts teamwork in the delivery of palliative care and supports opportunities for understanding and mitigating the barriers to interprofessional collaboration in palliative care settings. The structure and values of the team impact interprofessional collaboration: how communication is enacted; how the hierarchy of the team influences who is viewed as having the ultimate authority over care; and how role understanding and valuing others drives interactions with other members of the team.
dc.identifier.citation	Forsyth, E. C. (2024). An ethnographic study of interprofessional collaboration in palliative care (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.
dc.identifier.uri	https://hdl.handle.net/1880/117928
dc.language.iso	en
dc.publisher.faculty	Graduate Studies
dc.publisher.institution	University of Calgary
dc.rights	University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission.
dc.subject	palliative
dc.subject	palliative care
dc.subject	interprofessional
dc.subject	interdisciplinary
dc.subject	multidisciplinary
dc.subject	collaboration
dc.subject	team
dc.subject	teamwork
dc.subject.classification	Nursing
dc.subject.classification	Health Sciences
dc.title	An Ethnographic Study of Interprofessional Collaboration in Palliative Care
dc.type	master thesis
thesis.degree.discipline	Nursing
thesis.degree.grantor	University of Calgary
thesis.degree.name	Master of Nursing (MN)
ucalgary.thesis.accesssetbystudent	I do not require a thesis withhold – my thesis will have open access and can be viewed and downloaded publicly as soon as possible.