This places the philosophy of palliative
care at odds with findings from clinical
practice that highlight the necessity
for the clarification of team roles and
procedures (Street and Blackford, 2001).
In the extreme, an environment without
clear role delineation can result in palliative
care professionals becoming engaged
in a saga of struggle, where they are trying
to differentiate themselves from other
healthcare professionals on the team in
order to promote their own professional
identity and, hence, the value of their
place in the team.
Street and Blackford (2001) highlight the
difficulties of resolving these issues of territoriality
and power in relation to palliative
care interdisciplinary teams. They
argue that resulting conflicts can jeopardize
the fundamental goal of palliative care,
which is the provision of optimal patient
support. Some of these tensions between
disciplines are not only related to individual
differences, but also arise just as easily
as an unwanted effect of different cultures,
norms and patterns of accountability.