title: Collaboration between family physicians and nurse clinicians: opinions of graduates in family medicine.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether graduating family physicians are exposed to collaboration between family physicians and nurse clinicians during their training, as well as their opinions about shared care between doctors and nurse clinicians in the delivery of patient care.
  
  
  METHODS
  Anonymous online survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two French-Canadian university family medicine residency programs.
  
  
  METHODS
  The 2010 and 2011 graduating family physicians (N = 343) from the University of Montreal and Laval University in Quebec.
  
  
  METHODS
  The extent to which nurse clinicians in graduating family physicians' training milieu were involved in preventive and curative patient care activities, and graduates' opinions about nurse clinicians sharing care with physicians.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 343 graduates, 186 (54.2%) participated in the survey. Although as residents in family medicine their exposure to shared care with nurse clinicians was somewhat limited, respondents indicated that they were generally quite open to the idea of sharing care with nurse clinicians. More than 70% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that nurse clinicians could adjust, according to protocols of clinical guidelines, the treatment of patients with diabetes, hypertension, and asthma, as well as regulate medication for pain control in terminally ill patients. By contrast, respondents were less favourable to nurse clinicians adjusting the treatment of patients with depression. More than 80% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that nurse clinicians could initiate treatment via a medical directive for routine hormonal contraception, acne, uncomplicated cystitis, and sexually transmitted infections. Respondents' opinions on nurse clinicians initiating treatment for pharyngitis and otitis were more divided.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Graduating family physicians are quite open to collaborating with nurse clinicians. Although they have observed some collaboration between physicians and nurses, there are areas of shared clinical activities in which they would benefit from further exposure and training.
authors.affiliation: Professor in the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine at the University of Montreal in Quebec. brigitte.maheux@umontreal.ca.
authors.forename: Brigitte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Maheux
authors.affiliation: Professor in the Department of Family and Emergency Medicine at Laval University in Quebec city, Que.
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Côté
authors.affiliation: Clinical consultant and Teaching Chair in Prevention at the University of Montreal.
authors.forename: Omobola
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sobanjo
authors.affiliation: Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Family and Emergency Medicine at the University of Montreal.
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Authier
authors.affiliation: Family physician clinical instructor at the Clinique de médecine familiale Notre-Dame in Montreal.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lajeunesse
authors.affiliation: Nurse clinician and clinical instructor at the Clinique de médecine familiale Notre-Dame in Montreal.
authors.forename: Mylène
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leclerc
authors.affiliation: Research assistant and Teaching Chair in Prevention at the University of Montreal at the time of the study.
authors.forename: Louise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lefort
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005194:Family Practice / Q000193:education / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007396:Internship and Residency; D008297:Male; D009720:Nurse Clinicians; D010821:Physicians, Family; D011792:Quebec; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires