Benefits of Collaborative

Nursing and its Impact in

Providing Effective Care; a
Systematic review.
DECLARATION

I
ABSTRACT

II
AKNOWLEDGEMENT

III
DEDICATION

IV
TABLE OF CONTENT

DECLARATION............................................................................................................I
ABSTRACT..................................................................................................................II
AKNOWLEDGEMENT..............................................................................................III
DEDICATION.............................................................................................................IV
TABLE OF CONTENT................................................................................................V
LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES............................................................................VI
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS.....................................................................................VII
CHAPTER ONE............................................................................................................1
INTRODUCTION..........................................................................................................1
1.1. Problem Statement...........................................................................................2
1.2. Research Aim and Objectives..........................................................................2
1.2.1 Objectives.......................................................................................................2
1.3. Significance of the study.................................................................................3
1.4. Limitations of the study....................................................................................3
1.5. Definition of terms ..........................................................................................3
1.5.1. Inter-professional collaboration....................................................................3
1.5.2. Collaborative nursing....................................................................................4
1.5.3. Effective nursing care....................................................................................4
CHAPTER TWO............................................................................................................5
METHODOLOGY.........................................................................................................5
2.0. Introduction......................................................................................................5
2.1. Search Strategy.................................................................................................5
2.2. Eligibility criteria.............................................................................................5
2.3. Quality Assessment..........................................................................................6
CHAPTER 3...................................................................................................................8
RESULTS.......................................................................................................................8
3.1. Analyzing the data............................................................................................8
3.2. Search Results................................................................................................10

V
VI
LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES

VII
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

VIII
 CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION

The increasing prevalence of chronic diseases and the aging demographic have led to a
surge in patients with intricate healthcare needs within the context of primary care.
Addressing the exigencies of these patients requires a holistic, sustained, and well-
coordinated healthcare approach involving diverse medical specialists. In response to
this increasing challenge, novel care paradigms, notably inter professional
collaboration (IPC), have been proposed within the primary care framework (Carron et
al., 2021).
In order to achieve the goals of patient management, requisite collaboration among
diverse facets of healthcare provision is imperative (Ma, Park, and Shang, 2018).
According to Henneman, Lee, and Cohen (1995), the inception of the term
"collaboration" can be traced back to the Latin root "collaborates," signifying concerted
efforts toward a shared objective.
Inter Professional Collaboration, according to the World Health Organization (2010),
is delineated as the collaborative engagement of two or more individuals originating
from diverse backgrounds, endowed with complementary skills. This collaborative
interaction aims to foster the development of a collective comprehension that surpasses
the individual cognitive capacities of the involved parties, an understanding
unattainable through solitary endeavours. In the context of nursing, collaboration is
delineated as a relational procedure among professionals who possess congruent
values, philosophical orientations, socialization, and experiential backgrounds, as
articulated by Moore, Prentice, and Salfi (2017).
Healthcare professionals frequently engage in collaborative endeavours when reaching
decisions and exchanging information. Establishing non-hierarchical relationships,
rooted in knowledge and expertise, wherein power is distributed, demands proficient
capabilities in trust, respect, self-awareness, and conflict resolution (Emich, 2018). The
collaboration among professionals is a nuanced, interpersonal, and vocational
dimension that necessitates deliberate efforts. To ensure the well-being of patients and
nurses, a cohesive team approach is imperative (Nelsey and Brownie, 2022).
Effective collaboration among nurses is imperative for delivering top-notch patient care
and ensuring their well-being (Polis et al., 2017). Suboptimal coordination and
communication during the care planning phase may lead to dissatisfaction among

1
 healthcare professionals, medical errors, preventable injuries, financial setbacks, and, in
extreme cases, fatalities. This underscores the critical importance of cohesive teamwork
in the healthcare environment (Lu, Zhao and While, 2019).

1.1. Problem Statement

In accordance with the findings posited by Carron et al. (2021), the escalating
prevalence of chronic illnesses concomitant with the advancing age demographic
underscores the imperative for heightened collaborative endeavours within the
domain of healthcare management. Additionally, the assertions articulated by
Kumari et al. (2023) underscore the pivotal nature of the medical profession,
where each practitioner bears the responsibility of delivering optimal care and
requisite services to their patients. This overarching exigency has, consequently,
engendered an imperative for collaborative initiatives among nursing practitioners
during the patient management continuum and extends to encompass collective
engagement across diverse healthcare professionals within the overarching
healthcare framework.

1.2. Research Aim and Objectives

The purpose of this research is to determine the benefits of a collaborative nursing
practice and the advantages and disadvantages that it may have on the delivery of
high-quality, efficient patient care using a systematic review methodology.

1.2.1 Objectives
 Recognizing the imperative nature of cooperative nursing within the healthcare
sector;
 Grasping the impact of collaborative nursing practices on the healthcare industry;
 Enhancing the elements of collaborative nursing to elevate the quality of patient
care;
 Empowering individual participants in nursing assistance while mitigating inter-
member disparities.

2
1.3. Significance of the study
One of the significance of collaborative efforts among the healthcare team is seen in the
management of chronically ill patients, by providing them with the best care required (Ever
Scot et al, 2020). According to Bagayogo et al, (2016), the collaborative efforts can be seen
in diverse clinical setting such as, in the emergency team, community care and within
formalised chains of integrated care services. The increasing collaborative efforts even
among nurses has seen an increase in academic interest in the subject of collaborative
nursing. The expectations of the effects of this effort is the high quality of care. However,
varying difficulties, challenges and barriers tend to hinder the attainment of the desired
collaborative efforts among the nursing and other members of the clinical team (Lingard et
al., 2017).
This study, with its aim in drawing knowledge from existing literature using a systematic
means will help to bring to picture the impacts of collaborative nursing in providing an
effective patient care.

1.4. Limitations of the study

Notwithstanding the merits inherent in this review, certain limitations warrant
acknowledgment. It is important to recognise that the literature review does not uniformly
capture the impacts of collaborative nursing among every country or regions in the world,
as the scope for this review does expressly delineate a particular region of focus, thereby
tempering the generalizability of the included findings. Also, the literature review does not
take into consideration, the variability of benefits available to collaborative nursing care in
the management of several medically compromising conditions. The policies governing
nursing and clinical practice vary from country to country, however the study does not take
this into consideration, as there was no bias towards selection of literature focused on a
particular region or country.

1.5. Definition of terms

1.5.1. Inter-professional collaboration

Inter-professional collaboration in the healthcare domain is typically understood as a
continuous and dynamic partnership between professionals with different backgrounds and
professional orientations, which may originate from different organizational or sectoral

3
affiliations. These practitioners collaborate in order to provide services that eventually
improve the health of those who receive healthcare (Morgan, Pullon, & McKinlay, 2015).
As delineated by Reeves et al. (2017), the concept of working "inter-professionally"
denotes the adoption of an integrated and holistic perspective toward patient care, fostering
collaboration among professionals hailing from diverse fields. In contrast, the term
"collaboratively" conveys the establishment of seamless and harmonious working
relationships, particularly in the context of tasks characterized by a high degree of
interconnectedness and interdependence. The former underscores a comprehensive
approach to healthcare delivery that transcends professional boundaries, while the latter
accentuates the cultivation of cooperative synergies amidst the intricacies inherent in
interdependent responsibilities.

1.5.2. Collaborative nursing

According to Emich (2018), the theoretical explanation for collaboration in the nursing
field includes the intra-professional or inter-professional combination in which nurses work
together in a cooperative manner to form a cohesive team. The goal of this group effort is
to address problems related to patient care or the complexities of the healthcare system.
This collaborative effort is defined by a sophisticated behavior in which materials and
knowledge are transferred in a way that is courteous and appropriate for a professional
setting. Nursing collaboration is essentially a complex and methodical process that
involves healthcare professionals working together to overcome obstacles related to patient
care and the larger healthcare system.

1.5.3. Effective nursing care

The development of effective interpersonal relationship and communication skills, the
prudent use of technology, the provision of competent standard care in accordance with the
ethical standards of the nursing profession, and the maintenance of an ideal nurse-patient
ratio (staffing) all contribute to nursing efficiency. When these elements are combined,
efficient nursing care is provided, which in turn results in shorter hospital stays for patients
in the context of higher-quality nursing practice, as stated by (Khomami and Rustomfram,
2019).

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 CHAPTER TWO
METHODOLOGY

2.0. Introduction
This chapter will provide a thorough exposure on the methodological strategy used to carry
out the systematic review. The main aim of this chapter is to describe in details how the
objectives of this review are met through a preset criteria which was applied in the
selection of several literatures that are being reviewed for this study. Also describing in
details are the basis for which published studies that do not meet the eligibility criteria for
selection were eliminated.
This chapter also describes in detail a meticulously devised assessment table, derived using
the parameters described by the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) instruments
for appraising the coherence and relevance of the selected papers with a purview of
maintaining the credibility of the systematic review.

2.1. Search Strategy

This study is aimed at conducting a systematic review to examine the benefits of
collaborative nursing among nurses as well as its impact in providing effective care.
In selection of reviewed literatures, a comprehensive search was conducted across various
databases including; Web of Science, Science Direct, Google Scholar, PubMed, EMBASE,
Cochrane Library and Scopus. Specific keywords as relating to this study was utilized such
as: “inter-professional collaboration,”, “intra-professional collaboration “inter-
disciplinary,” “multi-disciplinary,” “ Nursing collaboration”, “Collaborative clinical
nursing”, “team”. To expand the scope of the study, a comprehensive investigation of the
papers' bibliographies was also conducted. This study also employed a literature search
strategy that included the use of Boolean operators to identify relevant sources. The search
terms comprised of a combination of key words, such as "collaboration in nursing practice"
OR "nursing collaboration" OR "Nurses and Physician collaboration", "nurses" OR
"nursing assistants" OR "clinicians" OR "medical team

2.2. Eligibility criteria

The scope of literatures or published papers used for the systematic review is restricted by
formulating specific inclusion and exclusion criteria, as elucidated by Condron (2016).
Typically, these criteria are formulated after identifying the research question and

5
preceding the commencement of the search process. Exclusion criteria encompass the
factors that would render a study ineligible for incorporation within the review. In contrast,
inclusion criteria contain the comprehensive array of prerequisites that a research paper
must satisfy to in its assessment eligibility, as expounded by Patino and Ferreira, (2018). A
comprehensive presentation of these criteria is highlighted below;
The inclusion criteria comprised the following parameters:
 Research papers published within the period of January 1st, 2013 up until August, 2023
 Studies conducted in Africa, Europe, Asia and America
 Research papers published in English Language
 Research involving a cohort of nurses, doctors and other members of the medical team
as research participants
 Studies with emphasis on benefits and impacts of collaborative nursing in providing
efficient patient care
 Studies with full texts available
 Research papers that are peer reviewed.

The exclusion criteria comprised of the following parameters;

 Papers published earlier than 2013
 Papers published in any other language than English Language
 Published articles without a specific aim correlating with that of the topic
 Papers in which its full texts are not available.
 Studies which are not peer reviewed.

2.3. Quality Assessment

According to Almalki, (2016), the basis for evaluating the quality of a systematic review is
in the scrutiny with which its findings undergo. Quality in this context refers to the
rigorous adherence to every facet that encompasses a research design and its execution
with the aim of prevent against systematic, unsystematic or inferential fallacies.
Also, as highlighted by Seo and Kim, (2012), rather than centering solely on the direct
impact of an intervention within the research process, the assessment of quality assumes
paramount importance in gauging the overall robustness of evidence pertaining to specific
research inquiries. Moreover, it plays a pivotal role in the evaluation of the methodological
soundness of research design and its subsequent execution. The assessment of appropriate
methodology for the selected publications was conducted utilizing the Clinical Appraisal

6
Skills Programme (CASP) checklist, as outlined by CASP in 2022. The outcomes of this
evaluation have been tabulated comprehensively and can be found in the appendices
section of this manuscript. This methodological scrutiny serves as a cogent measure to
ascertain the trustworthiness and validity of the research underpinning this work, therefore,
reinforcing the credibility of the findings of this research.

2.4. Quantitative Approach

CHAPTER 3

7
 RESULTS
3.1. Analyzing the data
The selected papers were subjected to individual review, following which data extraction
was performed by a process of screening the accumulated studies, as per the flow diagram
depicted beneath. In order to address any inconsistencies that arose within the study,
cordial dialogues and consultations were carried out with proficient mentors in the domain
of nursing education research. The present study details the fundamental data garnered
from each of the encompassed investigations, which comprise the first author's name, year
of publication, geographical locales, article tittles, cohort demographics, sample size,
health sub-sector and study methodology, in addition to the number of references cited.
Following electronic searches conducted across a range of databases ( Web of Science,
Science Direct, Google Scholar, PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and Scopus), a
grand total of 1010 papers were successfully discovered. The management of citations was
executed through the utilization of Mybib reference management software, which
significantly enabled the effective sorting, elimination of redundancies, and archival of the
article citations. Through the employment of the conventional integrative review
methodology, a total of 125 non-duplicative publications were subjected to screening via
title and abstract assessment, utilizing predetermined criteria for inclusion and exclusion.
The comprehensive screening procedure aided in ensuring the incorporation of exclusively
relevant publications in the conclusive evaluation. This study adopted a methodical and
deliberate approach in order to offer a thorough and perceptive examination of the research
inquiry. Following an extensive assessment of the titles and abstracts for the 125 distinct
publications, 10 articles were considered relevant and incorporated into the review. The
present study involved subjecting the articles to a thorough full-text analysis process,
wherein a total of 115 articles were deemed ineligible for inclusion in the review. Any
divergences that emerged throughout this procedure were resolved via deliberation, and the
conclusive assortment of articles was substantiated. The PRISMA flow chart below depicts
the search strategy undertaken.

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 Records identified from*:
Identification
Web of Science (n = 223 ) Records removed before screening:
Science Direct (n =117 ) Duplicate records removed (n
Google scholar (n =229 ) =558 )
PubMed (n =106 ) Records marked as ineligible by
EMBASE (n = 142) automation tools (n =176)
Cochrane (n =123 ) Records removed for other reasons
Scopus (n = 70) (n =118 )

Screening
Records screened Records excluded**
(n =1006 ) (n =0 )

Reports sought for retrieval Reports not retrieved

(n =154 ) (n =852 )

Reports assessed for eligibility

Reports excluded:
(n =125)
No Original data (n =21 )
Studies with indequate sampling (n
=24 )
Studies without data on risk factor of
depression (n =13 )
Non- cross sectional studies (n=34 )
Study using similar data set (n=20 )

Included
Studies included in review
(n =8)

Figure 1; PRISMA flow chart showing the search strategy for the systematic review

9
3.2. Search Results
Author Country Article Tittle Participant Involved Study site Study
Methodology

Baek et al, 2023 South Korea Nursing teamwork is essential in Korean registered nurse Not stated. Quantitative
promoting patient-centered care: a analysis
cross-sectional study

Milton et al., 2022 USA Healthcare professionals’ Nurses, nursing assistants Emergency Qualitative
perceptions of inter-professional and physician Department of a approach
teamwork in the emergency University hospital
department: a critical incident
study

Bragadóttir et al., Iceland The Relationship of Nursing Nursing staff Medical, Surgical Quantitative study
2023 Teamwork and Job Satisfaction in and intensive care approach
Hospitals units

10
Costello et al., 2021 Australia Examining the average scores of Registered nurses, enrolled Acute medical ward Quantitative
nursing teamwork subscales in an nurses (EN), clinical nurses approach
acute private medical ward and a clinical nurse manager

Zajac et al., 2021 USA Overcoming Challenges to Healthcare Professionals Large healthcare Mixed method
Teamwork in Healthcare: A Team organisation
Effectiveness Framework and
Evidence-Based Guidance

Kyriacou Georgiou Cyprus Correlation Between Teamwork Medical and nursing staffs Nicosia General Quantitative
et al., 2021 and Patient Safety in a Tertiary hospital approach
Hospital in Cyprus

Barry et al., 2019 USA Team inclusion and empowerment Licensed and unlicensed Residential long Quantitative
among nursing staff in long-term nursing staffs’ term facilities approach
care
Havens et al., 2018 USA Impact of Relational Coordination Registered nurses Acute care Quantitative
on Nurse Job Satisfaction, Work community hospital approach
Engagement and Burnout:
Achieving the Quadruple Aim

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Lindh Falk et al., South Africa Unfolding practices; A socio- Physicians, Nurses, Nursing Spinal cord Qualitative study
2017 material view of inter-professional assistant, Occupational rehabilitation unit approach
collaboration in healthcare. therapist, Physiotherapist,
Rehabilitation assistant.

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Busari et al., 2017 Caribbean island Understanding the impact of inter- Nurse, interns, medical General hospital Qualitative
of Curaçao professional collaboration on the specialists approach
quality of care: a case report from
a small-scale resource limited
health care environment

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