Nurses' Perceptions of Nurse-Physician Collaboration and Quality of Care in Public Hospitals.

INTRODUCTION

Nurse-physician collaboration is a fundamental part of the healthcare information flow, while poor or improper collaboration could result in poor healthcare outcomes and increased medical errors.

OBJECTIVE

This study investigated the relationship between nurse-physician collaboration and the perceived quality of healthcare services offered in Jordanian public hospitals, and associated factors.

METHODS

A descriptive correlational research design was used. A sample of 385 nurses employed in five Jordanian public hospitals was recruited. Nurse-Physician Collaboration Scale was used to assess collaboration, while the HEALTHQUAL scale was used to evaluate healthcare service quality. The IBM SPSS software (version 26) was used to analyze the data.

RESULTS

There was a positive correlation between nurse-physician collaboration and the perceived quality of healthcare services provided to patients (= 0.778, < .01). There was variability in the perception of nurse-physician collaboration based on gender, RN-to-patient staffing ratios, age, and income level ( < .05). No association was found between nurses' demographics and their perceptions of the quality of healthcare services provided to patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Healthcare organizations should implement effective practices to promote nurse-physician collaboration, which could subsequently improve the quality of tangible services provided to patients.