Table 1.

Key communication domains

Communication domain	Nurses	Physicians
Uniformity in sharing and upholding of procedures (standardization)
Current perspective	Ambiguities (unclearness) in patient treatment plan is experienced as a major obstacle. Lack of procedures or uniformity in procedures used. Searching for solutions to missing or unclear information is time-consuming. Lack of autonomy in own professional tasks. Established agreements with other departments (laboratory, radiology) are not upheld and hinder collaboration.	Searching for information is time-consuming. Patient information is often incomplete. Unclear policy within departments. Communication gap with other health care providers. Nurses are often unapproachable.
Effects	Increased risk for errors. Lack of efficiency. Loss of motivation. Dissension and isolation. Suboptimal patient care.	Time-consuming. Higher margin for errors. Dissension and discouragement (loss of motivation).
Maintaining and sharing of knowledge (sustainment)
Current perspective	Lack of access to the knowledge of medical specialists and interns (knowledge sharing). Sense of a frequent need to gain knowledge from the medical specialist. The hierarchical structure of medical team causes ambiguity in approach to patient care. Nurses’ knowledge unavailable to physician. One-sided relationship.	Lack of cohesion. Individualism in approach to solving clinical problems and performing procedures (silos). Inadequate consultation within and between professional groups (physician, nurses). Loss of information.
Effects	Suboptimal patient care. Lack of motivation. High personnel turnover, increased risk for errors. Lack of sustainability.	Waste of time. Loss of motivation and knowledge. Lack of efficiency.
Collaboration based on professional respect (collaboration)
Current perspective	Unequal professional relationship between physician and nurses. Absence of an environment for asking questions. Suboptimal collaboration.	Unequal professional relationship between physician and nurses. Poor acknowledgment of nurses’ professional autonomy by peers. Insufficient knowledge sharing.
Effects	Low motivation. Increased work absenteeism. High personnel turnover. Suboptimal patient care. Negative atmosphere. Disagreement. Waste of time.	Higher risk for errors. Loss of time and motivation. Suboptimal patient care. Fragmentation.