This study evaluated the association of nurse-physician collaboration in intensive care units (ICUs) with patient outcomes and nurse satisfaction. The major independent variables measured were general amount of collaborative practice and specific amount of collaboration related to the decision to transfer patients out of the ICU. The general measure used was the Collaborative Practice Scales (CPS). The specific measure was a Likert-type question about how much collaboration was involved in making the decision. Data were collected on patient outcomes of death or readmission to the ICU. Nurse satisfaction was measured generally using the Index of Work Satisfaction (IWS). A question about satisfaction with the decision-making process measured specific nurse and physician satisfaction. Relationships between nurses' and physicians' assessments of collaboration and satisfaction were explored, as were relationships between nurses' and physicians' education and experience levels and collaboration.

Sixty-eight staff nurses, thirty-two residents, and fifty-nine attending physicians participated. The transfers of 286 patients from the ICU were studied.

Logistic regressions revealed a significant positive relationship between patient outcome and collaboration involved in making the transfer decision as assessed by nurses (p $<$.05). Collaboration as assessed by physicians had no significant relationship with patient outcome. While no significant relationship was shown between collaboration and general nursing work satisfaction (r =.08), there was a strong relationship in the specific situation (r =.67, p $<$.05). The correlation in the specific situation was significant, but much lower for residents (r =.26, p $<$.05). There was no significant correlation between nurses' and residents' assessment of how much collaboration had occurred in making the transfer decision (r =.10). There was no significant relationship between education or experience variables and collaboration for nurses or attending physicians, but there was a positive association for education and collaboration for residents. The results indicate that collaboration in ICU care related to both patient outcome and nurse satisfaction.