Purpose – The aim of this study was to identify and describe the collaborative and professional boundary challenges at a hospital ward from a bottom-up perspective.

Design/methodology/approach – The study was conducted as a bottom-up improvement project at a hospital ward in western Sweden. An insider action research (IAR) approach was used during the project. The theoretical framework for this project was based on the Cultural-Historical Activity Theory (CHAT). Data were collected between 2019 and 2021.

Findings – The findings showed that unclear professional boundaries and limited resources challenged and hindered interprofessional collaboration. The project group had to reorganize its daily work to adjust to the different disciplines’ legal responsibilities in relation to the patients’ recovery process. To safely discharge patients, the professionals needed to talk about each other’s professional responsibilities, professional boundaries and ethical codes.

Originality/value – The IAR project revealed that revising the daily team-round routine improved the status of assistant nurses and encouraged physicians to consider input from all professions during the patients’ recovery process. However, the new approach faced resistance from clinic leadership, who believed it could prolong patients’ stays in the ward. The findings underscore the challenges of modifying hierarchical structures and social orders within hospital settings.