Nurse Education in Practice 10 (2010) 238242

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Nurse Education in Practice

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/nepr

Knowledge of the professional role of others: A key interprofessional competency

Mary B. MacDonald *, Jill M. Bally, Linda M. Ferguson, B. Lee Murray, Susan E. Fowler-Kerry,
June M.S. Anonson
College of Nursing, University of Saskatchewan, A102 Health Sciences Building, 107 Wiggins Rd, Saskatoon SK, Canada S7N 5E5

a r t i c l e

i n f o

Article history:
Accepted 15 November 2009

Keywords:
Education, nursing
Interprofessional relations
Professional knowledge
Clinical competence
Professional development
Faculty, nursing

s u m m a r y
In this paper, the authors present the results of a study which delineated six key competencies of interprofessional collaborative practice for patient-centred care: communication; strength in ones professional role; knowledge of professional role of others; leadership; team function; and negotiation for
conict resolution. While all of these competencies are important and require special attention, this
paper examines and discusses the competency knowledge of professional role of others and its associated
behavioural indicators, especially as these relate to the interprofessional education of nursing students.
The identication of these competencies and their behavioural indicators serve two purposes. It forms
the basis for the preparation of students, preceptors, and faculty for interprofessional practice, and it
develops a tool for assessing student performance in such practice. Consequently, we believe that the utilization of this key competency and its behavioural indicators will contribute to the development of programs that include specic knowledge and skills related to interprofessional nursing education. This will
enable educators to support and evaluate students in interprofessional educational experiences more
efciently and effectively. Ultimately, as nursing students practice and become fully functioning practitioners, client care will be optimized.
2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Introduction
In the current demanding healthcare environment, interprofessional team practice is being promoted as a holistic means of providing cost-effective healthcare. The literature suggests that when
healthcare professionals such as Registered Nurses, pharmacists,
occupational therapists, and physicians collaborate, a positive
and rewarding practice environment is fostered (Freeth and
Reeves, 2004; McNair et al., 2005). Registered Nurses make up a
large component of the healthcare sector and are an integral part
of the interprofessional healthcare team. The Canadian Nurses
Association (CNA, 2005) and health care professionals (Freeth
and Reeves, 2004) have identied interprofessional collaboration
as an effective means for improving healthcare outcomes within
Canadas healthcare institutions.
In order to achieve an effective level of collaborative healthcare
practice, to improve patient outcomes, and to create a holistic caring environment, healthcare educators, including nursing faculty,
must focus attention on interprofessional education (IPE) in undergraduate programs (Curran, 2004). As an educational priority for
the development of nursing curricula, IPE will support a more integrated approach to preparing nursing students for interprofessional
practice (IPP) and collaboration. To facilitate this approach, a study
* Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 306 966 6250; fax: +1 306 966 6621.
E-mail address: mary.macdonald@usask.ca (M.B. MacDonald).
1471-5953/$ - see front matter 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.nepr.2009.11.012

conducted by the authors identied six key competencies that are

required for successful IPP: communication; strength in ones professional role; knowledge of professional role of others; leadership;
team function; and negotiation for conict resolution. In addition,
and unique to extant literature in this area, a number of behavioural
indicators for each competency have emerged from the data analysis and have contributed to the clarication of each competency.
The delineation of these competencies and their behavioural indicators serve two purposes. It forms the basis for the preparation
of students, preceptors, and faculty for IPP, and it develops a tool
for assessing student performance in interprofessional practice.
While all the competencies are important and require special
attention, this paper will examine and discuss one key competency
for interprofessional practice, knowledge of professional role of others, and its related behavioural indicators. We believe that an enhanced knowledge of this competency and its associated
behavioural indicators will enable educators to support and evaluate students in interprofessional education experiences more efciently, and effectively.

Methods
In their research study, the authors utilized a Grounded Theory
approach (Glaser, 1978) to identify competencies of interprofessional collaborative practice for patient-centred care. Ethical

M.B. MacDonald et al. / Nurse Education in Practice 10 (2010) 238242

approval was obtained from the university Research Ethics Board.

The setting for the study was a Canadian medical-doctoral university with nine health sciences professional colleges. The authors
conducted a thorough literature search to determine competencies
of IPP that are applicable to all health professional groups. Although
competencies of IPP were described in the literature, the intent of
the research was to conrm the extant competencies, identify additional competencies, and seek clear descriptions of the competencies. Data collection and analysis occurred in 2006 and 2007.
Practicing professionals, faculty, and stakeholders in IPP involving professional healthcare students in their senior clinical practica
were provided with an information letter describing the project
and requesting their participation in an audio-taped interview.
Participants were consented into the study and included participants from the professions of nursing, both acute care and community-based, Medicine, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Clinical
Psychology, Education, Social Work, Addictions Counselling, Rehabilitation Counselling, Academia, and Administration. In addition,
students from a variety of health science programs who had completed an interprofessional clinical practica in their senior years
were included. Interviews were conducted with seven undergraduate students, two graduate students, four faculty members from
four different professions, and 11 practitioners, for a total of 24
participants. Participants were from a variety of locations throughout the province. Interviews of 3090 min in length were conducted in a convenient place of the participants choosing, using
a semi-structured interview guide.
Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed to identify recurring themes and behavioural indicators of
the relevant competencies. The authors/researchers separately
analyzed transcripts and then compared ndings, reaching consensus of coding and identication of categories. Data from the literature were also accessed and analyzed in conjunction with ndings
from participants to identify behavioural indicators of competencies of interprofessional collaborative practice for client-centred
healthcare. Finally, to validate ndings, experts from across North
America (students, faculty, and practitioners) were consulted to
validate the competencies and their behavioural indicators. Duplications were deleted and behavioural indicators rened for increased clarity. Competencies, and corresponding behavioural
indicators, were then organized into a list.
Findings
Overview
Six key competencies and a number of behavioural indicators
for each competency were identied. These competencies are similar to those identied in the literature, although the behavioural
indicators are generally not addressed. The key competencies identied were: communication; strength in ones professional role;
knowledge of professional role of others; leadership; team function; and negotiation for conict resolution. The behavioural indicators of the competencies emerged from analysis of the data.
Many of these indicators are new to the literature and add to our
understanding of the competencies.
In this paper the authors focus on the competency knowledge of
professional role of others and its associated behavioural indicators,
especially as they relate to the interprofessional education of professional healthcare students in a university setting (see Table 1).

239

competency provide direction in planning learning experiences

and evaluating nursing student outcomes. The behavioural indicators of this competency, provided below along with supporting evidence, illustrate the competencys richness, depth, and essence in
interprofessional practice.
(1) Describes where the scope of ones own profession ends and another begins: The following quotes exemplify this indicator.
If we do not as professionals feel that we have a good understanding of the other individuals scope, then we need to seek
to obtain that understanding. It should be a professional obligation of each of us. (practitioner)
Its really important for everybody to understand what the
other person is bringing to the table because if youve never
worked closely with a pharmacist, a dietician, a nurse, you dont
really know what they learn and what theyre supposed to do
and what they can do to make your job easier. (student)
(2) Open to/seeks out the contributions of other team members:
This indicator is reected in the following practitioners
comments:
I have to honour that there are other sets of knowledge that
could change what it is I would do from my single sort of perspective. ... Its not just talking with another person. Its listening to that other person, being willing to change your mind
based on what it is theyre doing, valuing that they have as
many right answers as you do, sometimes more, and that
together you might come up with a very different solution than
you do individually.
(3) Addresses misconceptions/stereotypes among team members:
One faculty participant spoke of clinical areas where there were
fairly stereotypical behaviours in terms of the hospital hierarchy.
This stereotyping was also addressed by a practitioner in the following comments.
Ive been in many situations where everyone calls the pharmacist by their rst name and the nurse by their rst name ...
which indicates a hierarchal system where the physician is
deserving of more respect than anyone else. Everybody is on a
level playing eld when the home health aide and the physician
call each other Margaret and Joe. . . . If they dont have the right
expectation then they may really disrespect a student for not
fullling something they have no right to expect ... in the rst
place.
(4) Respects the roles, expertise, and unique contributions of other
team members: Data addressed issues of respect, as indicated in the
following comment from a practitioner.
We really need professionals to trust each others skills and to
allow each other to work to the high end of their scope. We
really need to accept each others assessment, not duplicate
things, for the sake of the client.

Table 1
Behavioural indicators for interprofessional competency knowledge of the professional role of others.
1.
2.
3.
4.

Behavioural Indicators of knowledge of the professional role of others

5.

According to the literature, understanding the role of other professionals is an acknowledged competency. Various aspects of this

6.
7.

Describes where the scope of ones own profession ends and another
begins
Open to/seeks out the contributions of other team members
Addresses misconceptions/stereotypes among team members
Respects the roles, expertise, and unique contributions of other team
members
Identies common/overlapping professional skills amongst team
members
Values the enhanced benets of the collaborative efforts of the team
Describes the different perspectives and knowledge of other professions

240

M.B. MacDonald et al. / Nurse Education in Practice 10 (2010) 238242

(5) Identies common/overlapping professional skills amongst

team members: One faculty participant indicated that there needs
to be an appreciation of the skills of others and recognition of
where your competency ends and where others competencies begin but that there will always be some blurring. Another faculty
participant commented that, They all had their little areas of
expertise but I think they found they actually had more commonalities.... They have to be exible. A comment from a practitioner
was, . . . we learn that it is such an asset to have support from
other professions and team members who have many of the same
skills as do ourselves, and that the client is having his/her needs
met.
(6) Values the enhanced benets of the collaborative efforts of the
team: Comments related to this behavioural indicator included:
With more heads working together you get the problem solved
faster and mostly likely better for the patient. Its a lot easier to
get the whole story . . . because patients dont always say the
same thing to everybody. (student)

Theres no way that any one group [profession] can ... deal with
(all) the determinants of health. It has to be a group of people
with a different knowledge base, different experiences, and
who are also willing to learn from . . . the population in which
they work. (practitioner)

Interprofessional practice is professionals from different disciplines collaborating, understanding each others roles, and
working to maximize . . . Youre not trying to do it all yourself
and youre using the skills of other professionals as well . . .
The whole is always greater than the individual bit.
(practitioner)
(7) Describes the different perspectives and knowledge of other
professions: Comments included:
Theres a need to have an understanding of what other professions offer so that there can be a whole network of people helping the client. . . . When an individual has a good understanding
of another profession and how that profession can assist a client, you have the capacity to break down some barriers.
(practitioner)

Having the opportunity to work with individuals outside of my

discipline kind of opened my mind up to different ways of
thinking and seeing how other disciplines look at a particular
problem and what angle theyre going to take. (faculty)

Discussion
The key competency knowledge of professional role of others has
been linked to successful interprofessional practice (Holland, 2004;
Howarth et al., 2006; Nestle et al., 2004; Pullon, 2008; Suter et al.,
2009). Recognizing that interprofessional teams are established to
meet the needs of patients/clients, teams often consist of different
healthcare professionals. Regardless of the constitution of the
team, it is imperative that all team members are able to identify
and demonstrate strength in their own roles (Bronstein, 2003; Atwal and Caldwell, 2005; Pellat, 2005) as well as demonstrate
knowledge of the roles of the other healthcare team members
(Caldwell and Atwal, 2003). Other authors (Dempsey and Larson,
2004; Insalaco et al., 2006; McCloskey and Maas, 1998) support
this observation, suggesting that more importance be given to this

competency in order to ensure effective interprofessional team

practice. The following is a discussion of how each behaviour is
associated with this competency as well as on the impact of each
on nursing education and practice.

Describes where the scope of ones own profession ends and another
begins
Interprofessional collaborative practice in the healthcare system allows for optimal contributions by all team members in providing holistic client care. An attitude of acceptance helps build IP
competence and team capacity (Baxter and Markle-Reid, 2009). In
order to collaborate in an effective manner, specic role expectations and professional contributions of each team member must
be clearly delineated (Pellat, 2005; Suter et al., 2009). To be effective, team members must accept the responsibility to act in accordance with the standards of practice and within the role
obligations dened by their professional scope of practice, and
communicate this scope of practice to others (Harrison, 2005; Suter et al., 2009). Students, therefore, should be prepared for their
roles and responsibilities by placing an emphasis in undergraduate
curricula on standards of practice and on professional competencies for their profession.
The willingness of a professional to learn about other professional roles leads to a broadening and an enrichment of the knowledge required to collaborate with other team members in
providing effective healthcare (Rodehorst et al., 2005). Interprofessional teamwork allows healthcare professionals to identify unique
differences in, and to understand, the roles and contributions of
other team members (Insalaco et al., 2006). Consequently, each
team member is able to participate in a shared team experience.
However, this outcome is not always the case. As Pellat (2005, p.
144) suggested, There is evidence that professionals may be unclear not only about roles and functions of other professionals,
but also about their own roles. Therefore, the preparation of
undergraduate nursing students should provide the kind of interprofessional education that enables them to gain insight into the
roles, professional cultures, and practices of collaborating team
members, as well as their own. Documents that clearly enunciate
the roles and responsibilities of other professions such as the one
circulated by the Dieticians of Canada (Royall and Brauer, 2009)
provides an excellent basis for this learning.

Open to/seeks out the contributions of other team members

In order to provide the most comprehensive and effective client
care, team members must develop and maintain a willingness to
utilize the knowledge and skills of the interprofessional team
members. All team members must have an understanding of the
knowledge and skills that each team member can contribute in a
given situation. In addition, team members as a group must be able
to determine who is best suited to implement any given intervention that is required for effective client care (Harrison, 2005).
To develop openness to the contributions of team members and
an attitude of acceptance (Baxter and Markle-Reid, 2009), the preparation of nursing students should include the development of a
comprehensive knowledge base of the skills and abilities of other
professional healthcare team members. In addition, nursing students must acquire skills in developing commonly understood
goals and objectives with other healthcare professionals. Each
team member must develop respect for the contributions of other
team members, and develop techniques for sharing successes and
challenges among all team members (Dieleman et al., 2004).

M.B. MacDonald et al. / Nurse Education in Practice 10 (2010) 238242

Addresses misconceptions/stereotypes among team members

The existence of interprofessional stereotypes and power hierarchies among healthcare professional groups has been conrmed
(Hind et al., 2003). Such stereotyping and misconceptions within
interprofessional practice groups may lead to poor communication,
tension amongst team members, compromised patient care, and
work dissatisfaction (Farrell et al., 2001; Harrison, 2005; Orchard
et al., 2005). Ultimately, this stereotyping may affect the ability
and willingness of nurses and other team members to participate
effectively and may negatively affect their ability to gain knowledge from other healthcare professionals. Indeed, this can affect
the healthcare outcomes for the client.
To increase awareness of other professional roles in the healthcare setting, and to reduce potential misconceptions, nursing education programs should provide learning opportunities that enable
students to become knowledgeable about the roles, responsibilities, and contributions of other team members. There should also
be adequate opportunity for students to interact with potential
professional team members in order to develop an awareness of
and valuing of their contributions in providing effective client care.
Learning opportunities for the development of group leadership
skills should be organized to provide leadership learning opportunities in order to avoid misconceptions regarding the value of each
team member.
Respects the roles, expertise, and unique contributions of other team
members
To respect the roles, expertise, and unique contributions of
other team members, nursing students must not only be aware
of the basic skills and knowledge base of their own profession,
but also those of the other interprofessional team members
(Caldwell and Atwal, 2003; Dieleman et al., 2004; Rodehorst
et al., 2005). Collaborative respectful interactions based on trust
promote practitioner competence and IPP (Baxter and Markle-Reid,
2009). In this way, team members can avoid the tension that arises
when they fail to recognize the roles and functions of others in the
team, or when team members believe that their colleagues do not
acknowledge their value and contributions to the team.
In order to develop the ability to compare and contrast the professional roles of members of interprofessional teams, the education of nursing students must include the acquisition of
knowledge about the scope of practice, areas of autonomy, and
independence for each profession involved in interprofessional
practice, and the opportunity to practice with other healthcare
professional students in clinical practice (Suter et al., 2009). To enhance this effort, learning should take place in an interprofessional
setting or, if one is not available, faculty may need to identify
opportunities for IPP. This interaction, particularly in discussions
of care issues or in clinical practice, can assist students to identify
the healthcare professional best suited to enact the professional
skills needed by the client. This knowledge and openness to the
contributions of other healthcare professionals enhances team
practice and patient outcomes.
Identies common and overlapping professional skills amongst team
members
When members of a team belong to professions that are intertwined in terms of analysis, planning, implementation, and evaluation of client care, there is going to be obvious common or
overlapping professional skills that may lead to tension and conict among members of the interprofessional team. To avoid such
tension and conict, the team members must develop competence
in identifying the skills which they can contribute to the team, as

241

well as the knowledge and skills that other team members possess
(Caldwell and Atwal, 2003). When a team member perceives other
team members as having similar or overlapping roles, team members must clearly designate the professional who will assume
responsibility for that aspect of care on behalf of the team (Pellat,
2005). At times, efciency of care may dictate that a single professional provide several aspects of care, based on the common skills
of several professional groups.
Traditional barriers very often limit healthcare professionals
ability to reach their full potential by constricting the range of their
professional activities. In undergraduate curricula, nursing educators must attempt to eradicate those barriers. Such curricula must
help students to differentiate the skills that are specic to each
profession, as well as concentrating on sharing skills across professions (Caldwell and Atwal, 2003). Each team member would bring
unique skills and knowledge to the team in order to provide effective and comprehensive client care. The goal is for nursing students
to develop strategies that encourage interprofessional team work
with an emphasis on acknowledging the skills of each professional
team member, and using these skills appropriately to improve client care. There will be some overlap, intersection, or commonality
of skills (Suter et al., 2009). Rather than duplicating efforts, each
professional needs to acknowledge the common skills and use
them effectively to enhance patient care and limit duplication.
One team member could perform common functions on behalf of
the healthcare team rather than duplicating efforts of other team
members. Potentially, this could save time and effort for the team
members and avoid frustration for the client as long as ndings are
communicated effectively among all team members.
Values the enhanced benets of the collaborative efforts of the team
Efcient interprofessional practice is dependent on knowledge
of the professional role of each team member and on the ability
to value the collaborative contributions of each professional as
enhancing positive client outcomes. In turn, effective team functioning and collaborative practice will lead to cost-effective, high
quality client care.
To enhance the ability of nursing students to value the professional skills and the collaborative efforts of the team, nursing curricula must include a strong focus on courses that enhance their
own professional identity as well as expose students to the practice
of other healthcare professionals. This approach will ensure that
nursing students become aware of their own competencies, the
competencies of other healthcare professionals, and the resulting
condence in their value as a team member. Such curricula must
also include an emphasis on developing leadership skills within
interprofessional classroom and clinical environments (Ross et
al., 2005).
Describes the different perspectives and knowledge of other
professionals
Describing the different perspectives and knowledge of other
professionals is a challenge that each team member must accept
and achieve if the team is to function effectively. Team members
must know and be condent of not only their own skills and competencies, but the competencies and skills of other team members,
as well as the contributions that all can make to the team effort
(Pellat, 2005).
To develop the ability to identify and describe the various perspectives and knowledge of other team members in interprofessional practice, nursing students must be given the opportunity
to discuss team relationships openly in a supportive environment.
An emphasis on interprofessional group discussions could aid in
the development of an enhanced understanding of each others

242

M.B. MacDonald et al. / Nurse Education in Practice 10 (2010) 238242

competencies and roles, and thus the ability to describe the knowledge and perspectives of other team members. Problem-based
learning experiences within an interprofessional healthcare team
setting in the classroom, and emphasizing and encouraging interprofessional team experiences in clinical areas, are strategies that
should be utilized to achieve success in describing the different
perspectives and knowledge of other professionals.

and, nally, the development of strategies that encourage interprofessional teamwork. The underlying element that is crucial to such
an approach is the faculty members knowledge and utilization of
the key competencies of interprofessional practice. This approach
will no doubt improve the quality of care that clients receive in a
collaborative healthcare environment.

Teaching strategies for effective interprofessional practice

References

Teaching nursing students about interprofessional practice,

including the competency of knowledge of professional roles of others, is important to enhance their potential for effective interprofessional practice. Students need the opportunity to practice in
interprofessional teams to hone their skills, with the ideal experience being a team practice experience in the clinical setting
(Howarth et al., 2006). As well these experiences should be integrated throughout the programs to facilitate the development of
competencies as students mature in their professional roles
(Herbert, 2005). In some instances, students have opportunities
to participate in existing teams and collaborative practice, or more
rarely, in student interprofessional clinical teams. Unfortunately,
not all students will have this opportunity, in part due to the limited numbers of interprofessional team experiences available to
students in the practice setting. Experiences such as presentations
concerning team practice, videos illustrating effective team practice, and problem-based learning and case studies may provide
students with opportunities to practice their skills in safe and lifelike learning situations that stimulate team competencies in vicarious learning. In these types of learning situations, students can
identify the professional skills needed for the situation and the
professional best suited to enact the needed professional skills,
whether commonly held skills or unique skills. Although these situations provide a context for team-based practice, it is in the clinical setting that these behavioural indicators would be most
effectively enacted and evaluated. The ndings of this study are
beginning to be used in the orientation of students for IPP and
practitioners in Primary Health Care, and to provide a basis for
evaluation of students in problem-based learning situations.
Conclusion
The competency knowledge of the professional role of others and
its related behavioural indicators, as well as the other key competencies of interprofessional practice have been identied as significant elements in improving healthcare outcomes. These
competencies direct nursing faculty and preceptors to those teaching strategies that encourage, support, evaluate, and facilitate the
development of interprofessional practice. It is clear that healthcare is a shared responsibility of many interrelated professions.
Therefore, the focus of nursing programs and other health science
professional programs should be on an interprofessional approach.
Such programs should include curricula that serve to assist students in developing the following areas of knowledge and skills:
their roles and responsibilities based on standards of practice
and on the professional competencies provided by each profession;
interprofessional education and practical experiences with team
members from other healthcare professions who provide a comprehensive knowledge of the skills and the abilities of other professional healthcare team members; organized opportunities for
interaction, as well as techniques for sharing successes and failures
with other team members; the dynamics of group work, group
management skills, and leadership skills; the development of
behavioural objectives and the related evaluation procedures;

Atwal, A., Caldwell, K., 2005. Do all health and social care professionals interact
equally: a study of interactions in multidisciplinary teams in the United
Kingdom. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences 19, 268273.
Baxter, P., Markle-Reid, M., 2009. An interprofessional team approach to fall
prevention for older home care clients at risk of falling: health care providers
share their experience. Journal of Integrated Care 9, 112.
Bronstein, L.R., 2003. A model for interdisciplinary collaboration. Social Work 48 (3),
297306.
Caldwell, K., Atwal, A., 2003. Professional issues. The problems of interprofessional
healthcare practice in hospitals. British Journal of Nursing 12 (20), 12121218.
Canadian Nurses Association, 2005. Interprofessional Collaboration. Ottawa, ON:
Author.
Curran, V., 2004. Interprofessional education for collaborative patient-centered
practice research synthesis paper. Health Canada, 2004. <http://www.hcsc.gc.ca/hcs-sss/hhr-rhs/strateg/interprof/synth-eng.php>.
Dempsey, C., Larson, K.W., 2004. Cant we all just get along? Know your role in
fostering hospital-provider collaboration. Nursing Management 35 (11), 3235.
Dieleman, S.L., Farris, K.B., Feeney, D., Johnson, J.A., Tsuyuki, R.T., Brilliant, S., 2004.
Primary health care teams: team members perceptions of the collaborative
process. Journal of Interprofessional Care 18 (1), 7578.
Farrell, M.P., Schmitt, M.H., Heinemann, G.D., 2001. Informal roles and the stages of
interdisciplinary team development. Journal of Interprofessional Care 15 (3),
281295.
Freeth, D., Reeves, S., 2004. Learning to work together: using the presage, process,
product (3P) model to highlight decisions and possibilities. Journal of
Interprofessional Care 18 (1), 4356.
Glaser, B., 1978. Theoretical Sensitivity. Sage, Thousand Oaks.
Harrison, B., 2005. Professional role competence and improved patient outcomes.
Healthcare Traveler 12 (11), 2631.
Herbert, C.P., 2005. Changing the culture: interprofessional education for
collaborative patient-centred practice in Canada. Journal of Interprofessional
Care (Suppl. 1), 14.
Hind, M., Norman, I., Cooper, S., Gill, E., Hilton, R., Judd, P., Jones, S.C., 2003.
Interprofessional
perceptions
of
healthcare
students.
Journal
of
Interprofessional Care 17 (1), 2134.
Holland, K., 2004. Inter-professional working and learning for integrated health and
social care services. Nurse Education in Practice 4, 228229.
Howarth, M., Holland, K., Grant, M.J., 2006. Education needs for integrated care: a
literature review. Journal of Advanced Nursing 56 (2), 144156.
Insalaco, D., Ozkurt, E., Santiago, D., 2006. Attitudes and knowledge of students in
the allied health professions toward their future professional team members.
Journal of Allied Health 35 (3), 142146.
McCloskey, J.C., Maas, M., 1998. Interdisciplinary team: the nursing perspective is
essential. Nursing Outlook 46, 157163.
McNair, R., Stone, N., Sims, J., Curtis, C., 2005. Australian evidence for
interprofessional education contributing to effective teamwork preparation
and interest in rural practice. Journal of Interprofessional Care 19 (6), 579594.
Nestle, D., Kneebone, R., Martin, S., 2004. Inter-professional learning: discussion
groups in a minor surgery skills course for nurses. Nurse Education in Practice 4,
236243.
Orchard, C.A., Curran, V., Kabene, S., 2005. Creating a culture for interdisciplinary
collaborative professional practice. Medical Education 10 (11), 113.
Pellat, G.C., 2005. Perceptions of interprofessional roles within the spinal cord injury
rehabilitation team . . . including commentary by Lingard L. International
Journal of Therapy and Rehabilitation 12 (4), 143150.
Pullon, S., 2008. Competence, respect and trust: key features of successful
interprofessional nursedoctor relationships. Journal of Interprofessional Care
22 (2), 133147.
Rodehorst, T.K., Wilhelm, S.L., Jensen, L., 2005. Use of interdisciplinary simulation to
understand perceptions of team members roles. Journal of Professional Nursing
21 (3), 159166.
Ross, A., King, N., Firth, J., 2005. Interprofessional relationships and collaborative
working: encouraging reective practice. Online Journal Issues Nursing 10 (1).
Retrieved March 11, 2007, from ephost@epnet.com.
Royall, D., Brauer, P., 2009. The role of the Registered Dietician in primary health
care a national perspective. Dieticians of Canada, Ottawa. Retrieved
September, 2009. <http://www.dietitians.ca/resources/resourcesearch.asp?fn=
view&contentid=1363>.
Suter, E., Arndt, J., Arthur, N., Parboosingh, J., Taylor, E., Deutschlander, S., 2009. Role
understanding and effective communication as core competencies for
collaborative practice. Journal of Interprofessional Care 23 (1), 4151.