Nurses' perceptions of physiotherapists as rehabilitation team members

Objective: To investigate nurses' perceptions of physiotherapists as member s of the rehabilitation team. This study arose from the current emphasis th at is placed on good multidisciplinary teamwork for effective rehabilitatio n and the awareness that different team members often have different percep tions of their respective roles within the team. Design: Semi-structured interviews, the results of which were then subject to content analysis. Setting and subjects: Experienced rehabilitation nurses in two rehabilitati on wards within a National Health Service Trust. Results: Nurses perceived the role of physiotherapists as being concerned w ith mobility and movement, and valued the therapists' knowledge and skills in these areas. They felt, however, that physiotherapists had insufficient understanding of the demands and pressures of nursing practice and lacked r ecognition of the nurses' professional autonomy in decision-making in rehab ilitation. Nurses viewed nursing and physiotherapy as two quite distinct an d different roles within rehabilitation, despite some role overlap. Physiot herapy was perceived as specific and measurable, while nursing was perceive d as generalized and undefined. These perceptions extended to their views o n patient-staff interactions and organizational structures. Some of the dif ferences, such as organizational structures, created barriers to rehabilita tion. Others, such as physiotherapy expertise in mobility, were valued for their contribution to rehabilitation. Areas were identified where the two p rofessions can assist each other in professional skills. Conclusion: Nurses valued the role and contribution of physiotherapists, bu t identified areas in which barriers existed to effective interprofessional working, particularly in relation to organizational factors and interprofe ssional relationships.