Perspectives of Social Workers and Other Healthcare Professionals on Collaborative Work to Address Complex Situations
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18060/28145Keywords:
Interprofessional (IP) collaboration, social work, health care, complex situationsAbstract
This article presents results from an original study on the experience of health care and social work (SW) practitioners within interprofessional (IP) teams. This qualitative research project is based on an interpretive paradigm and seeks to understand various aspects of the interprofessional collaboration (IPC) experience. Participants in this study (n=35) work in different practice settings, both urban and rural regions of New Brunswick, Canada. Research team used semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions for data collection. The results discussed in this article highlight aspects (individual, inter-relational, organizational, and macrostructural) that foster or hinder IPC as well as benefits of collaborative work for service users, professionals, and agencies. To conclude, we propose ideas for future research, as well as ways to think about education for health and SW programs. More specifically, it is important to foster a culture of collaboration and to develop learning opportunities with regard to complex situations and interprofessional collaboration by offering students as well as practitioners common spaces for collaborative work.
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