Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) has gained acceptance among healthcare professionals as a means to improve communication and, therefore, the quality of services provided to patients. There is limited published evidence on IPC among newly graduated physicians (NGPs), who are often confronted with academic pressure, job demands and patient safety concerns. The study sought to assess the attitudes of NGPs to IPC and examine the perceptions of healthcare professionals in Oman of the enablers of and barriers to IPC. A mixed method design was adopted to comprehensively address the exploratory and explanatory research questions. The first phase of the study consisted of an online self-administered survey of NGPs using the Jefferson School of Attitudes Toward Physician-Nurse Collaboration (JSAPNC). The survey data were analysed using SPSS software version 24. The second phase consisted of focus group discussions, with each group comprising four to eight healthcare professionals. The focus group data were analysed using the interpretive phenomenological approach with N-Vivo software version 12. The findings indicated that a general ‗collaborative spirit‘ is prevalent among NGPs in Oman, with an overall JSAPNC score of 48. Male physicians expressed more favourable attitudes towards IPC and endorsed a more positive view of nurses‘ contribution to the psychological and educational aspects of patient care than did their female counterparts. Male physicians also demonstrated greater agreement with nurse involvement in decisions regarding patient care and policies. The study also showed that prior knowledge of IPC impacted positively on collaboration among professionals, which in turn is likely to impact on the healthcare delivery. It is therefore necessary to implement robust strategies, such as interprofessional education (IPE) and training, to promote IPC among healthcare professionals.

Interprofessional collaboration (IPC) has gained acceptance among healthcare professionals as a means to improve communication and, therefore, the quality of services provided to patients. There is limited published evidence on IPC among newly graduated physicians (NGPs), who are often confronted wi...