Table 4 Characteristics of interprofessional team work that foster team satisfaction

Interprofessional team members recognize the meaning of delivering patient-centered care with a common goal over individual differences: One nutritionist recognized “We paddle for the same side.” A nurse technician explains “people find it hard to under stand that after all, they have to work together! They have to do it! to focus on the patient, not on their relationships. If they get along or get along badly” and a register nurse and nurse technician appears as a close task team, a physical therapist expresses it…. “I’m not in so many meetings ... nursing is the strongest task nucleus!!”

Team members emphasized the need for opportunities and places for interaction and cordial communication that facilitates interprofessional teamwork relations. A nutritionist expresses “It helps communication, empathy, in general (…) super good experiences! Even with some physicians. There is a personal relationship, then the work becomes much easier.” Team members recognize that professional horizontality facilitates the work and collaboration, a register nurse “everyone fulfills a task and all the work is valuable.” A nurse technician indicated “physician are visitors to the units, the ones together every day are nurse technicians, register nurse, physical teraphists.” Although for some physicians, team is there to facilitate his performance “You have to get support from your nurse, your physical therapist and even your nurse technician, because they spend more time with the patient.” Recognizing one’s own and others’ roles strengthens the synergy, facilitated by the permanence in the interprofessional team. One Physician stated “we need to be clear about the role, value of that role and empower it and give it the importance that corresponds!”

To encourage opportunities to create and promote new ways of doing things, a register nurse relates “in clinical practice, they are the ones! from them (team members) is born the solution to a problem. You have to listen to them because it also makes is easier to get their adherence.” This position can generate tension between reform and resistance to change, a physician exemplifies “we always did this! It is one of the things that disturbs me most.” Results highlight the contribution of the younger generations, as a register nurse stated “currently people are focused on the opportunities that one gives them. Sometimes there are very young people(…) who have very good ideas and work in shaping them as a project.”

The interprofessional team expects from the leader motivational communication, sharing a vision of work with a meaning. The physician explains “when people feel motivated and welcome and the leader manages to convey the importance of the goal and of each person’s role to achieve it.” The nutritionist demands that “the supervisors do not sit with the power! Everybody does things.” A leader should consider individual and collective well-being by deepening in individual motivations. A physician expressed it as “simple things like greet them in the morning, that is enough.” A nutritionist suggests “ask them, how are they? the family? know if they are well.” The presence of a formal leader from the organization and a second one among team members rising when needed, has being classified as situational and shared leadership. A physician considers “is attributed a lot of leader role to the physician, being that probably does not have leadership role… all should be leaders in their work.” The informal leader is a facilitator of dialog and communication, a nutritionist indicates “there has to be a leader (…) no matter young, old, have to be a conciliatory person and know how to communicate with people(…) informal leaders have an added value.” Interprofessional team members recognized in the register nurse a leadership that facilitated their relationship with the physician. One physical therapist expressed “they know everything that happens, they do not have problem in speaking strong, in approaching a physician. Many other people panic about talking to a physician.”

Team members perceived the interpersonal relations on two levels, one level focuses on work and the other level focuses on social relations. Both levels were noted to enhance climate of confidence and security. A nutritionist stated “it becomes much easier when you have an interpersonal relationship, more than just work(…) there is more confidence to ask.” Another physician added “you have your team to trust, 100 % in what your people are doing.” Dialog and interactions that consider the other are indispensable. One physical therapist insisted “it is super important! No matter that I don’t like her or if she is my friend or not, but if I know what the other does I will respect it.” Register nurse is central in facilitating the mediation of the information with the physician. A nutritionist explains “the nursing staff, invite us to know new things! so that we all handle the same information.” Another nutritionist adds “several times want to talk to (the physician) and the register nurses handle all the telephone numbers.”