James Mallows
Nepean Hospital
Introduction: Collegiality is considered to be any extra-role behaviour that represents individuals’ behaviour that is discretionary, not recognised by the formal reward system and that, in the aggregate, promotes the effective functioning of the educational organisation. Although there is much literature on the concept of collegiality, there is little examining collegiality in the medical profession and none looking at collegiality among emergency physicians.
Aim: To define the meaning of collegiality among emergency physicians, to explore the benefits of collegiality and to identify behaviours indicative of collegiality.
Methods: This was a qualitative study using elements of ethnography and grounded theory. Participants included emergency physicians, emergency medicine trainees, senior emergency nurses and nurse practitioners. Data collection was via semi structured interviews using focus groups of 3 to 4 participants. The constant comparative method was used for data analysis and coding.
Results: Ten focus group interviews involving a total of 33 participants were conducted. Several recurring themes were identified for both the meaning of collegiality and the benefits of collegiality among emergency physicians. Thirty behaviours indicative of collegiality were identified.
Conclusion: There are distinct themes and behaviours indicative of collegiality among emergency physicians identified in this study. These findings could form the basis of a validated tool for the measurement of collegiality among emergency physicians.
