Stereotypes of experienced health professionals in an interprofessional context: results from a cross-sectional survey in Germany

Abstract

Interprofessional teamwork often suffers from the existence of negative stereotypes. To combat their prevalence, interprofessional education (IPE) activities are being implemented worldwide. The aim of this study is to inform IPE developers of the prevalence and content of interprofessional stereotypes in the workplace in Germany and similarly structured healthcare systems. We surveyed health professionals with several years of work experience as nurse, midwife, or therapist concerning their attitudes toward their own professions and those of doctors using an established trait rating measure and a qualitative approach. Stereotypes of respondents (N = 129) were mostly related to (1) academic, medical competence (being perceived as lower than that of doctors) and ( 2) the traditional role relationship (strict hierarchy, dependence on doctors) that guides a lot of behavior, such as the little participation of nurses, midwives and therapists. Despite profound structural differences in the education and healthcare systems, our analyses further revealed similar topics for further IPE activities as in international research, such as the general demand to convey knowledge about the roles, skills and responsibilities of the other professions. The demand to improve the teamwork skills of all health professionals and empower them to be full and equal members of the healthcare team was also evident. Thus, a more reflective approach to stereotypes and their impact on interprofessional teamwork is indicated, particularly in workplace-based interprofessional learning activities. More generally, to counteract stereotypes a more widespread adoption of IPE in pre and post licensure health professions education and continuing professional development in Germany is needed.

Current Social Perception of and Value Attached to Nursing Professionals’ Competences: An Integrative Review

“…The idea of being subordinated to the medical profession also influences the self-concept and professional identity of nurses [4] and their social perception. It is sometimes argued that the social prestige of nursing is poor because it is compared to other professions such as medicine [35,44], highlighting that choosing to study medicine as opposed to nursing is linked to the higher status of medicine [14]. Nevertheless, nurses' knowledge, skills, and abilities, which underpin the profile defined in the aforementioned programmes, do equip them with the competences to work autonomously and independently.…”

Current Stereotypes Associated with Nursing and Nursing Professionals: An Integrative Review

“…The woman-nurse nexus is more pronounced in other studies, where nursing is viewed as a job aimed at women [41]; characteristic of women [40,43,46]; suitable only for women [39], and more appropriate for women [32]. This stereotype is identified by professionals themselves: 56% of men and 50.75% of women in Stanley and colleagues' article [49]; male nurses [27]; and female nurses who feel that nursing is an appropriate, suitable profession for them [40].…”

“…This factor was expressed by young people seeking to study medicine, who believed that they would obtain greater power and status as doctors than as nurses [30,48]. In Kämmer and colleagues' study [43], a participant commented that nurses belong to a different social class and are poorer than doctors. However, the participants in another research study rated nursing as the second most valued profession after medicine [46].…”

“…Nursing is perceived as a profession in which doctors' orders and instructions are obeyed [23,30,35], resulting in acquiescence to doctors and undervaluing of nurses [48]. This vision was expressed by some nursing professionals, who stated that doctors give instructions to nurses and that only doctors must speak in front of patients, with nurses remaining in the background [43]. One male nurse in Kluczy ńska and colleagues' study [38] explained that he struggled to defer to doctors as he was a man, viewing subordination as easier for women.…”

What factors affect team members’ evaluation of collaboration in medical teams?

“…Yet, despite the empirical evidence of divergent teamwork perceptions, only a few studies have examined the underlying reasons for the observed differences. Possible reasons that have been discussed include that expectations ( Frasier et al, 2017 ), communication styles ( Jones and Durbridge, 2016 ), and stereotypes ( Lingard et al, 2005 ; Kämmer and Ewers, 2021 ) vary with roles and profession—and hence shape perceptions. In addition, even though teams have a shared team goal, subtasks likely vary by role and profession and may thus influence the perceived strain ( Keller et al, 2021 ) and perspective on the overall teamwork quality.…”