The correlation between interprofessional collaboration and nursing empowerment within interprofessional educational environments enhanced by clinical simulation (SIM-IPE) and in real-world care scenarios

Abstract

Abstract Objectives: Investigating the correlation between interprofessional collaboration and nursing empowerment. Methodology: Qualitative study of an interpretive phenomenological type with purposive sampling until data saturation. Data collection involves non-participant observation in Simulation-Enhanced Interprofessional Education environments (SIM-IPE), semi-structured interviews with six participating nurses, observation in a semi-critical care unit during the arrival of COVID-19, and eight interviews with participating nurses. Analysing the entire data corpus reveals 35 codes subsumed into eight categories and two final themes. Results: It was possible to determine the existence of factors influencing perceptions of the nursing profession in interprofessional teams, including a positive team atmosphere, perceived safety within the environment, generation of emotions, recognition of key aspects, and opportunities for individual and collective improvement. Additionally, the study identifies the implications of nursing empowerment in interprofessional teams, such as introspection, self-analysis, awareness of impact, and positive perceptions. Conclusions: The research highlights interactive elements within interprofessional teams contributing to nursing empowerment, along with positive implications for the effective functioning of interprofessional teams resulting from the empowerment of the nursing group.