Abstract

Poor hospital unit culture and staff morale, and dysfunctional multidisciplinary cooperation leads to worse patient safety and satisfaction. The Walk in My Shoes research project aimed to understand how interprofessional job shadowing impacts the attitudes of colleagues. Thirty-three registered nurses at an acute care hospital observed the daily work of social workers. Nurses' attitudes towards social workers were measured by surveys and interviews. Quantitative data indicated a change in nurses' perception of social workers' communication, teamwork and autonomy. Qualitative data indicate that job shadowing helped participants identify personal misperceptions, provided new understanding of roles and gave insight into co-worker job similarities.