In Search of the Team Player

And who's going to save the healthcare industry? Well, the doctors say the doctors, that's who. In the survey, 30% said that physicians would save healthcare, far outdistancing the other stakeholders, such as the government (13%) and hospitals (13%).

"So much for humility," Dacey comments.  "The real answer, of course, is all of the above working together," he says.

"Most doctors believe that very few administrators understand physicians and the problems they face," Dacey says. "And most administrators at both hospitals and insurance companies would say the same thing about doctors. And both groups are correct."

Relations between physicians and nurses are particularly important as systems move toward multidisciplinary approaches and use of nurse navigators with physicians for specialized care within service lines.

The survey results indicate mixed attitudes about physicians related to their nursing colleagues. While 48% said increasing scope of care for nurses would improve the quality of care, 26% said it would worsen.

When asked how pervasive physician abuse or disrespect of nurses is at individual organizations, 13% said it was common, while 88% said it was uncommon.