Understanding faculty perspectives of supports and barriers to interprofessional collaboration within a clinical scholars program: A qualitative study

Abstract Aim This study explores the faculty perspective of an interprofessional clinical scholars program to identify recommendations for strengthening team collaboration between academia and clinical practice. Background Interprofessional evidence-based practice, pairing higher education and clinical practice, is a critical part of nursing education. Design This qualitative study consisted of two phases of participant engagement, in both data collection and data analysis. Methods Specifically, faculty participated in a focus group discussion followed by a card sort of initial codes. Results The major themes identified are Unifying the Team and Navigating Layers of Challenge, encompassing concepts of teamwork and programmatic context that supported or disrupted interprofessional collaboration. This study affirms the importance of role clarity, connectedness, intentionality and continuity within clinical teams. Moreover, faculty identified barriers to teamwork based on workload, leadership turnover and constraining environmental forces. Conclusions Recommendations for effective teamwork in an interprofessional setting will strengthen future collaboration between higher education and clinical settings.