Experiences of health care workers' on interprofessional collaborative practice at Mzuzu Central and Ntcheu District hospitals

BACKGROUND: Interprofessional collaborative practice (ICP) is a new approach to delivery of health care. It is the practice which happens when healthcare providers work together with different professionals such as nurse/midwives, medical officers towards a common goal to improve patient outcomes.There is no evidence on healthcare workers' experiences on ICP in Malawi and a study on healthcare workers experiences would provide insight towards ICP. The objective of this study was to describe healthcare workers' experiences on ICP in model wards. METHODS: We conducted a qualitative exploratory descriptive study at Mzuzu Central and Ntcheu District Hospitals. We purposely selected nurses, clinical officers and medical doctors out of 25 sampled healthcare workers working in model wards. Data were collected through in-depth interviews using a semi-structured interview guide. Hospital authorities provided permission to conduct the study in their sites. Informed consent was obtained from participants before interviews. The study was approved by College of Medicine Research Committee (COMREC). Content analysis was utilized to analyse data. RESULTS: Four key themes emerged describing healthcare workers experiences on ICP:Increased management/leadership support in terms of resources and structures, good communication among staff, learning together as group of qualified healthcare workers and students and increased teamwork. CONCLUSION: This study highlights healthcare workers' experiences on ICP: management support, communication, learning together of healthcare workers and teamwork. Findings can be used to inform management and practice for the development and implementation of ICP in service delivery.