Introduction: The temporary trauma teams in trauma alerts consist of a diverse group of unique professionals requiring interprofessional collaboration and coordination to achieve efficient, high-quality care. The uncertain situation and complex care environment impose high demands on team dynamics such as individual attitudes and team behaviours. Within interprofessional teams, interaction and coordination reflect the collective success of collaboration and the achievement of goals. Interactions with radiographers have increased in trauma teams given computed tomography's prominent role in providing crucial knowledge for decision-making in trauma care. This study aimed to explore radiographers' experiences of interprofessional collaboration during trauma alerts.

Method: The study was designed with focus group methodology, including 17 radiographers participating in five focus groups, analysed with an inductive focus group analysis.

Results: An overarching theme, “On the edge of decision-making”, emerged along with three sub-themes: “Feeling included requires acknowledgement”, “Exclusion precludes shared knowledge”, and “Experience and mutual awareness facilitate team interaction”.

Conclusions: Interprofessional collaboration from the radiographer's perspective within trauma teams requires a sense of inclusion and the ability to interact with the team. Exclusion from vital decision-making obstructs radiographers' comprehension of situations and thereby the interdependence in interprofessional collaboration. Implications for practice: Common platforms are needed for knowledge sharing and team practices, including radiographers’ areas of responsibility and relational coordination to foster interprofessional relationships. Through these means interdependence through awareness and shared knowledge can be facilitated on trauma teams.

Introduction: Challenges in mutual awareness in interprofessional collaboration (IPC) along with relational and cultural barriers among professionals disrupt flow and delay decision-making in trauma care. Thus, this study explores team behaviours within IPC in trauma teams during trauma alerts from the perspective of radiographers.

Methods: A qualitative approach was used with a critical incident technique (CIT) design applying interviews with radiographers within three hospitals in Sweden from May 2022 to May 2023. CIT analysis was conducted with an abductive approach, applying an IPC core competency framework.

Results: The results present collaborative requirements in trauma care from radiographers' perspective narrating a distribution of team behaviours within trauma team collaboration and fundamental skills in IPC. Behaviours within interprofessional values and ethics were the most reported incidents related to valuing radiographers' contributions to IPC in acute trauma care.

Conclusion: Exploring behaviour through critical incidents associated with core competencies of IPC highlights the importance of interprofessional values as a foundation for successful IPC in the trauma team. The results show deficiencies in inclusive behaviour, influenced by the hierarchical environment of IPC. Power imbalances in this setting are traced to differences in perceived value and shared understanding among team members, possibly rooted in professional identity and culture. A dedicated leader is argued, as the recognition of radiographers' scope of practice in trauma imaging, emphasising the significance of shared decision-making.

Clinical Implications: The findings highlight organisational and relational coordination challenges for optimising competencies in IPC. IPC's success requires reinforcing values and ethics by empowering members' contributions and shared decision-making. This involves clarifying and recognising responsibilities, particularly for radiographers, ensuring their role in trauma imaging is respected and integrated into decision-making.

Introduction

In Scandinavia, where severe trauma is rare but potentially life-threatening, trauma teams must maintain high performance despite infrequent activations. Although advancements in trauma care have reduced mortality, severe multi-trauma still carries a high mortality risk of death, requiring rapid, coordinated responses from teams of diverse professionals. This study explores the interdependence between various trauma team members, with a particular focus on how radiographers' roles are understood, integrated, and relied upon in trauma care.

Methods

A qualitative design was employed, with data collected from four Swedish hospitals through interviews and observations. Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis method guided the iterative process to identify and generate patterns in the data.

Results

The analysis generated an overarching theme of Team integration through behavioural interdependence, along with three specific themes: (I) Collaborative interdependence: enhancing team synergy through dynamic role adaption; (II) Social interdependence: fostering trust through interpersonal relationships; and (III) Goal interdependence: aligning objectives for unified success.

Conclusion

The findings highlight the importance of team-enhancing behaviours to build high-performing trauma teams. Radiographers contribute through adaptive collaboration, technical expertise, and relational engagement. Equally important are the supportive behaviours of team members and leaders—such as clear communication, inclusion in decision-making, and recognition of radiographers' expertise—which enable radiographers to perform effectively. Clearly defined roles and shared objectives reinforce their value in trauma care.

Implications for practice

Effective team guidance and psychological safety are essential for improving team dynamics and outcomes. Regular, structured team reflections and joint exercises that include all professional roles, especially radiographers, and emphasise shared goals, shared knowledge, and mutual respect, can strengthen interdependence. This approach enhances team performance and supports safer, more efficient care.