Interprofessional relationships at work: A grounded theory study of the perceptions of a stroke care multi disciplinary team

Park, Laura (2020) Interprofessional relationships at work: A grounded theory study of the perceptions of a stroke care multi disciplinary team. Doctoral thesis, Northumbria University.

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Abstract

Introduction: Integrating interprofessional working (IPW) as a contemporary response to the ever changing needs of the UK population is a ‘gold standard’ healthcare strategy (including in a stroke care setting). However, difficulties in collaboration remain despite the ubiquity and the barriers being well understood.

Aim & Methodology: Effective relationships are important for IPW, yet an in-depth understanding on how relationships are perceived, formed and sustained is limited. This study aimed to address this area of limited knowledge by exclusively exploring interprofessional relationships through the individuals who work within a stroke care MDT context. A constructivist grounded theory methodology influenced by the theoretical perspectives of symbolic interactionism and social constructivism was used to address the study’s aim. The constructivist methodology, investigates social behaviour by its ability to interactively link the researcher and the participants under study, while acknowledging that knowledge and reality are not fixed, but are multiple and occur in the social contexts which the participant interacts in. The sample population was selected through purposive sampling, followed by the theoretical sampling strategy. In total, 14 stroke care professionals were recruited. Thirteen of these participants were observed in practice, and out of the 13, 12 were individually interviewed, resulting in data saturation from 25 data collection episodes. Data was analysed using the constant comparative analysis process.

Findings: Four interrelated categories emerged from analysis; Developing a sense of belonging, Rewards and recognition, Inclusive working and learning and Interprofessional compassion. The grounded theory model of experiencing growth through interprofessional relationships: a stroke care MDT setting was constructed to reflect the MDT stroke care participants’ relationship perceptions and to support the discussion of the findings. The original model proposes a process for which IPW relationships can be understood, with three overarching theoretical perspectives providing insight into the social process, functions and motives of interprofessional relationships in stroke care. This new theoretical insight offers an original contribution to practice, education and theoretical knowledge, by providing a comprehensive and multi-dimensional interpretation, for understanding the IPW relationships that exist and the process in which they can be developed and sustained. It additionally contributed new research opportunities which includes an interprofessional application of the IOS tool.

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