Collaboration is key: The actual experience of disciplines working together in child care.
Promoting young children's academic and developmental outcomes can no longer be achieved by the single efforts of one profession, but requires professionals to work together in inter-professional teams to understand the complexity of young children's lives. Collaboration in early childhood programs involves health professionals, educators, and other professionals sharing information, validating each other's roles, and providing input around which strategies promote positive outcomes for all children. There are, however, limited studies available within early childhood education on inter-disciplinary relationships between nurses and teachers. This paper helps to fill this void by exploring the relationship of an early childhood teacher and maternal and child health nurse working alongside one another in an Australian kindergarten. Through a narrative approach, a number of characteristics of the relationship were identified as key elements to a productive relationship. Findings are important for health professionals working with early childhood educators. By understanding the complexity within and between disciplines, professionals can work effectively to support young children and their families.
The Department of Education, Communication and Learning, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Susanne
S
Garvis
Faculty of Education, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Jane
J
Kirkby
Family and Children Services, City of Port Phillip, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Keryn
K
McMahon
North St Kilda Children's Centre, City of Port Phillip, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Colleen
C
Meyer
D001315:Australia; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D018479:Early Intervention, Educational; D006801:Humans; D017145:Models, Educational; D000078329:Workforce
early childhood; educator; inter-disciplinary collaboration; maternal child health nurse