The implementation of interprofessional education: a scoping review

The association between proactive personality and interprofessional learning readiness in nursing students: The chain medication effects of perceived social support and professional identity

BACKGROUND

Interprofessional education (IPE) has been advocated for all healthcare students, and readiness for interprofessional learning significantly influences its effectiveness. It is essential to explore the antecedent factors of readiness for interprofessional learning among nursing students to promote IPE. While a proactive personality might impact readiness for interprofessional learning, its specific role has remained unspecified.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the mediation effects of perceived social support and professional identity on the association between proactive personality and readiness for interprofessional learning among nursing students.

DESIGN

The study utilised a cross-sectional design.

SETTINGS

Research was conducted at two universities and two vocational schools in Hainan Province, China.

PARTICIPANTS

On-campus nursing students were invited to participate between March and May 2023.

METHODS

A flyer was distributed to the participants with a QR code to scan to voluntarily complete the online survey, including the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS), Proactive Personality Scale, Perceived Social Support Scale and Professional Identity Status Questionnaire Scale 5d. Descriptive analysis, Pearson associations and mediation analysis were conducted using SPSS software version 26.0 and PROCESS version 4.2 for SPSS.

RESULTS

The participants' average RIPLS score was 66.93 ± 9.28. Proactive personality (r = 0.633, p < 0.01), perceived social support (r = 0.605, p < 0.01) and professional identity (r = 0.549, p < 0.01) were all positively related to readiness for interprofessional learning. Meanwhile, the relationship between proactive personality and readiness for interprofessional learning was partly mediated by perceived social support (25.15 %), professional identity (13.35 %) and the chain effects (9.48 %) of perceived social support and professional identity.

CONCLUSIONS

The nursing students in Hainan, China demonstrated a medium level of readiness for interprofessional learning. Compound strategies that foster proactive personality, provide social support and boost positive professional identity are warranted to improve nursing students' readiness for interprofessional learning.

Pharmacy students' interprofessional experience and performance in advanced pharmacy practice experience rotations amid COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction

Interprofessional education (IPE) is essential in pharmacy training, providing students with vital collaborative skills for real-world healthcare. Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience (APPE) is integral to IPE, allowing students to apply their knowledge in diverse healthcare settings. The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted healthcare education and raised concerns about its impact on IPE during APPE rotations. Our study investigates the pandemic's influence on pharmacy students' interprofessional interactions and APPE performance.

Objective

To assess the interprofessional experiences of fourth-year pharmacy students before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in the context of APPE.

Methods

This retrospective observational study examined the experiences of P4 pharmacy students in the United States during APPEs before and during the pandemic. We employed electronic surveys with 21 questions to gauge interactions and interprofessional team effectiveness, employing Likert scale response options. We compared responses between the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 APPE rotations using statistical tests.

Results

Our study encompassed 83 and 86 students for the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 APPE rotations, respectively, achieving a 100% response rate. Amid the pandemic, written communications between pharmacy students and healthcare providers in general medicine rotations increased, while in-person engagement decreased. Pre-COVID, students reported higher colleague referrals and greater interprofessional utilization during ambulatory care rotations.

Conclusion

COVID-19 shifted interactions from in-person to written communication between pharmacy students and healthcare providers. Students reported decreased satisfaction with their interprofessional experiences. This research offers insights into the changing landscape of pharmacy education, helping students prepare for evolving challenges in healthcare delivery and education.

Impacts of interprofessional education on collaborative practice of healthcare professionals: A systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To investigate and statistically synthesise data on the effects of interprofessional education on healthcare professionals' collaborative practice among healthcare professionals.

DESIGN

A systematic review and meta-analysis.

DATA SOURCES

Seven databases and the grey literature were searched to collect relevant studies from database inception to 15 May 2023.

REVIEW METHODS

A random-effects model was used to assess the pooled effect size. Each pooled analysis was tested for publication bias using Egger's regression test.

RESULTS

Eleven studies were included in the final analysis. The evaluation of pooled results showed that interprofessional education significantly enhanced attitudes towards or mutual respect among healthcare professionals (pooled standardized mean difference: 0.14; 95 % Confidence Interval: 0.01-0.28; p = 0.04) and interprofessional knowledge (pooled standardized mean difference: 0.43; 95 % Confidence Interval: 0.22-0.65; p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Interprofessional education is a feasible approach to enhance attitudes towards or mutual respect among healthcare professionals as well as their interprofessional knowledge. Future research is needed to consider the inclusion of a module designed to develop mutual interests and communication to enhance students' perspectives on the importance of the interprofessional education approach.

Interprofessional socialization of first-year medical and midwifery students: effects of an ultra-brief anatomy training

BACKGROUND

Interprofessionalism is considered a key component in modern health profession education. Nevertheless, there remains ongoing debate about when and where to introduce interprofessional trainings in the curriculum. We identified anatomy, a subject commonly shared among health professionals, as a practical choice for initiating early intergroup-contact between first-year medical and midwifery students. Our study examined the effects of a four-hour block course in anatomy on interprofessional socialization and valuing, as well as long-term effects on intergroup contact.

METHODS

Based on different concepts and theories of learning, we implemented 12 interprofessional learning stations. Several measures were taken to foster group cohesion: (1) self-directed working in interprofessional tandems on authentic obstetric tasks, (2) competing with other tandems, (3) creating positive interdependencies during task completion, and (4) allowing room for networking. In a pre-post design with a three-month follow-up, we assessed the outcomes of this ultra-brief training with qualitative essays and quantitative scales.

RESULTS

After training, both groups improved in interprofessionalism scores with strong effect sizes, mean difference in ISVS-21 = 0.303 [95% CI: 0.120, 0.487], P < .001, η² = 0.171, while the scales measuring uniprofessional identity were unaffected, mean difference in MCPIS = 0.033 [95% CI: -0.236, 0.249], P = .789. A follow-up indicated that these positive short-term effects on the ISVS-21 scale diminished after 12 weeks to baseline levels, yet, positive intergroup contact was still reported. The qualitative findings revealed that, at this initial stage of their professional identity development, both medical and midwifery students considered interprofessionalism, teamwork and social competencies to be of importance for their future careers.

CONCLUSION

This study advocates for an early implementation of interprofessional learning objectives in anatomical curricula. Young health profession students are receptive to interprofessional collaboration at this initial stage of their professional identity and derive strong advantages from a concise training approach. Yet, maintaining these gains over time may require ongoing support and reinforcement, such as through longitudinal curricula. We believe that an interprofessional socialization at an early stage can help break down barriers, and help to avoid conflicts that may arise during traditional monoprofessional curricula.

Twelve tips for creating a longitudinal quality improvement and safety education for early health professions students

Despite the numerous calls for integrating quality improvement and patient safety (QIPS) curricula into health professions education, there are limited examples of effective implementation for early learners. Typically, pre-clinical QIPS experiences involve lectures or lessons that are disconnected from the practice of medicine. Consequently, students often prioritize other content they consider more important. As a result, they may enter clinical settings without essential QIPS skills and struggle to incorporate these concepts into their early professional identity formation. In this paper, we present twelve tips aimed at assisting educators in developing QIPS education early in the curricula of health professions students. These tips address various key issues, including aligning incentives, providing longitudinal experiences, incorporating real-world care outcomes, optimizing learning environments, communicating successes, and continually enhancing education and care delivery processes.

Evaluating the impact of a blended interprofessional education course on students' attitudes towards interprofessional education: a pre-post study

BACKGROUND

Since 2011, five educational and healthcare institutions have implemented a short interprofessional education (IPE) course to bring together undergraduates from five disciplines. To meet the logistical challenges of IPE implementation, more specifically, the large number of classrooms needed to gather students together and the need for human resources to guide learning activities, a face-to-face IPE course was redesigned into a blended (online and face-to-face collaborative learning activities) IPE course. In March 2023, 183 medical, 378 nursing, 46 radiologic technology, 69 physiotherapy, and 74 occupational therapy students participated in a one-day IPE blended course to learn interprofessional team functioning and dynamics, role clarification and responsibilities of other professions, and interprofessional communication skills. This study aimed to assess students' changes in attitudes towards IPE after being involved in a large-scale interprofessional blended learning course.

METHODS

A before-after study was conducted using a French translation of the validated questionnaire "University of West of England Interprofessional Questionnaire" (UWE-IP questionnaire). Students' attitudes towards interprofessional (IP) relationships and IP learning were measured before and after the course. In March 2023, two hundred fifty-six students from five professions answered two subscales of the UWE-IP questionnaire before and after the course (response rate 34%).

RESULTS

Students' attitudes towards IP relationships improved significantly after the course. The score on this subscale (min 8; max 24) changed from 11.18 (SD 2,67) before the course to 10,38 (SD 2,55) after the course, indicating a significant improvement in attitudes towards IP relationships (p < 0,001). More specifically, students had more positive attitudes on the item "I have a good understanding of the roles of different health and social care professionals." and the item "I feel that I am respected by people from other health and social care disciplines." after the course. A positive change in students' attitudes towards IP learning was observed, but the results were not significative.

CONCLUSION

A face-to-face IPE course redesigned as a blended course helped overcome existing challenges to implementing an IPE course. The results suggest a blended IPE course improves students' attitudes towards interprofessionality.

A study of the impact of an interprofessional education module in Vietnam on students' readiness and competencies

INTRODUCTION

The literature puts forward a range of challenges of interprofessional education (IPE) related to its planning, initiation, implementation, and especially to IPE assessment. The present study aims to map changes in students' readiness and interprofessional collaboration competence (IPCC) in implementing an innovative IPE module. Potential differences in impact related to the health education programs and IPCC scores resulting from self-, peer-, and tutor assessments will also be analysed.

METHODS

A pre-post design was adopted. The student's readiness for interprofessional learning was assessed using the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale, and the student's IPCC score was calculated based on self-, peer-, and tutor assessments with the interprofessional collaborator assessment rubric.

RESULTS

Students' mean post-test readiness scores and mean post-test IPCC scores were significantly higher than the total and subscales/domain pre-test scores (p<0.01). No significant within-subject differences were observed in students' readiness total or subscale scores when comparing health educational programs. However, significant differences were observed in students' mean total IPCC scores between programs (p<0.01). Significant differences in students' average IPCC scores were found when comparing self-, peer- and tutor assessment scores in six domains (p<0.01). Also, significant correlations between peer and tutor assessment scores were observed (p<0.01).

CONCLUSION

The IPE module, designed and implemented to focus on patient-centred practice within a primary care context, positively impacted students' readiness and IPCC development. These results offer insights to expand the implementation of the IPE module to all health educational programs.

The impact of online interprofessional learning on family health education to prepare collaborative-ready health professionals: A mixed-method study

BACKGROUND

Interprofessional education (IPE) is an experience that occurs when students from two or more professions learn about, from, and with each other to improve the quality of health services. One of the IPE teaching strategies is to use an online approach. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the community needs effective health education to prevent disease transmission. This study aims to assess the attitudinal changes toward IPE among health students in Indonesia after attending an online course during the COVID-19 pandemic.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study used a mixed-method study design with a concurrent approach. It was conducted in 2021 at a health profession education school of a University in Indonesia. An online project-based interprofessional learning in family health education was conducted. The quantitative analysis was carried out using pre- and post-tests with The Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) survey. Meanwhile, the qualitative methods used the phenomenological approach to Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and student reflective essays. The qualitative data were coded using thematic content analysis. The paired samples t-test was used if the data were normally distributed, or the Wilcoxon test if the data had abnormal distribution.

RESULTS

The students' attitudes regarding team and collaboration; professional identity; roles and responsibility improved significantly from pre- to post-test (<0.001). The participants perceived that all four interprofessional core competencies were achieved in their learning. They also mentioned their experiences regarding factors contributing to the success of the online course. The family health education project gave the participants more insight into professionalism and patient-centered care.

CONCLUSIONS

Online IPE courses can increase student readiness in collaborative practice and support students' learning to achieve interprofessional core competencies. The students feel the benefit of family health education for their profession.

Interprofessional Education in Child Protection for Preservice Health and Allied Health Professionals: A Scoping Review

Health and allied health professionals are uniquely positioned to collaborate in prevention, early intervention and responses to child maltreatment. Effective collaboration requires comprehensive interprofessional education (IPE), and inadequate collaboration across sectors and professions continually contributes to poor outcomes for children. Little is known about what interprofessional preparation health and allied health professionals receive before initial qualification (preservice) that equips them for interprofessional collaboration and provision of culturally safe care in child protection. This scoping review aimed to identify what is known internationally about IPE in child protection for preservice health and allied health professionals. Thirteen manuscripts reporting 12 studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the synthesis. Key characteristics of the educational interventions are presented, including target disciplines, core content and their learning objectives and activities. Findings demonstrated primarily low-quality methodologies and educational interventions that had not been replicated beyond their initial context. Many educational interventions did not provide comprehensive content covering the spectrum of prevention, early intervention and responses for all types of child maltreatment, and/or did not clearly indicate how IPE was achieved. Key challenges to delivering comprehensive interprofessional child protection include lack of institutional support and competing priorities across disciplines who must meet requirements of separate regulatory bodies. Consequently, there is a need for further development and robust evaluation of educational interventions to explore how interprofessional collaborative skills for child protection can be developed and delivered in preservice health and allied health professional education.

University Staff Insights on Interprofessional Education and Student-Led Clinic Opportunities at an Australian University

Purpose

Organizational and university staff buy-in and advocacy are critical considerations in planning successful interprofessional education (IPE) initiatives in healthcare, such as interprofessional student-led clinics (SLCs). This study was designed with the purpose of gaining deeper insight into current views and perspectives of academic and professional staff at an Australian university, as a precursor to planning IPE and SLC activities.

Methods

All academic and professional staff from within the School of Health Sciences were invited to participate in the study. In-depth-qualitative interviews were conducted with 16 staff to explore academic and professional staff perspectives on IPE and SLCs. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.

Results

Findings are grouped within five themes that incorporate broad perspectives on the tensions and possibilities of IPE and establishment of SLCs: Academic and professional staff commitment; Better/smarter IPE; Student-led clinic potential; Vision and innovation; and Strategy and resourcing. The themes reflect the high value placed on IPE by academic and professional staff and incorporate innovative ideas on how to prepare students for a rapidly changing and evolving healthcare environment. A reticence towards standard models of university based SLCs was expressed.

Conclusion

Academic and professional staff insights suggest university leaders need to develop a greater strategic focus on improving IPE. Effective engagement with staff is required to support IPE planning and implementation. If considering implementation of SLCs, contemporary fit-for-purpose models should be explored such as partnerships with primary healthcare providers, community wellness facilities, and hospital clinics rather than traditional university-based clinics.

Nurse practitioner faculty attitudes about interprofessional education

BACKGROUND

Nurse practitioner (NP) faculty attitudes toward interprofessional education (IPE) can be barriers to the shift in culture and successful implementation of IPE into nursing curricula. A paucity of studies exist comparing faculty attitudes of IPE with different educational modalities.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this research is to compare NP faculty attitudes toward IPE between IPE experiences and educational modalities in NP academic programs.

METHODOLOGY

A quantitative cross-sectional comparative design was used. An electronic survey was advertised to approximately 3,000 members of the National Organization of NP Faculties by email blasts to assess their attitudes toward IPE in the academic setting.

RESULTS

Participating NP faculty (n = 208) completed the survey, with a response rate of 6.9%. The results showed that NP faculty reported positive attitudes toward IPE (M = 4.33). Nurse practitioner faculty attitudes toward IPE and participation in IPE experiences were not statistically significant (p = .126). Nurse practitioner faculty attitudes toward IPE did not differ with the educational modality. The main effect of the NP degree program educational modality was not statistically significant, F(2, 172) = 0.74, p = .479.

CONCLUSIONS

Nurse practitioner faculty are optimistic about IPE in multiple educational modalities but still have some reservations about how to implement IPE activities successfully.

IMPLICATIONS

The NP faculty attitudes and barriers to IPE curricular development in all educational modalities must be addressed to prepare NP students to be competent collaborative practice-ready providers on graduation.

The effect of interprofessional education on the work environment of health professionals: a scoping review

To explore the existing literature on the effect of Interprofessional Education (IPE) on the work environment of health professionals. The research question was systematized according to the PCC (Population, Concept, and Context) format. A scoping review was performed. A search of multiple bibliographic databases identified 407 papers, of which 21 met the inclusion criteria. The populations of the 21 studies reviewed were composed of professionals in the fields of medicine, nursing, psychology, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and social work, among others. The study contexts were both academic and nonacademic hospitals, mental health institutions, and community settings, and the topics examined were organizational climate, organizational culture, organizational attachment and job satisfaction. The findings from the reviewed studies showed positive effects of IPE interventions on organizational climate and culture, but the results on job satisfaction and organizational attachment were mixed (i.e., positive and no effects following IPE interventions). Research on IPE is worth more attention as IPE could be an effective alternative for the fulfillment of the Quadruple Aim and achieving the third of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, aimed at improving health and well-being. It seems critical for IPE to be positioned as a trend in global health, aiming at boosting human health resources as one of its building blocks and calling the attention of health decision-makers.

A longitudinal, narrative case-study of interprofessional socialization among pharmacy students

INTRODUCTION

Despite growing evidence that interprofessional education (IPE) develops students' attitudes and competencies towards collaboration, there is a lack of theoretical, longitudinal research to inform the development of IPE initiatives. The purpose of this study was to examine pharmacy student interprofessional identity development during early professional and interprofessional socialization experiences in the pharmacy curriculum and at early entry into pharmacy practice.

METHODS

This longitudinal, narrative case study used one-on-one, semi-structured interviews conducted at four time points; pre-entry, end of first term, end of first year, and two years post-graduation. Data were analyzed by narrative analysis.

RESULTS

Three participants completed interviews at all four time points. Narratives revealed that participants focused on understanding the roles of pharmacists and other health professionals during early pharmacy curriculum and IPE experiences. Expansion of profession-specific role understanding and confronting pre-existing views or stereotypes were an emphasis early in the curriculum. Participants most valued IPE opportunities that allowed them to enact their own role while working with others in authentic case-based, simulated, or experiential experiences that enabled the development of professional relationships. Interprofessional identity development early upon entry into pharmacy practice varied based on the practice setting context and the ability to form relationships with other health care providers.

CONCLUSIONS

This study provides a preliminary exploration into the process of early interprofessional socialization for pharmacy students. Understanding the process of interprofessional identity development may affirm or enhance understanding of IPE curricula; further exploration in pharmacy curricula and practice is warranted.

Exploring the awareness, attitude, and inclination of healthcare students towards interprofessional education: A cross-sectional study in Saudi Arabia

Background

Interprofessional education (IPE) is acknowledged to enhance understanding between professionals and to facilitate learning. Healthcare professionals may be better equipped to accept and esteem other healthcare professionals, if interprofessional education is incorporated into undergraduate curricula. The management of challenging patient issues may also significantly benefit from this. As a result, the current study examined interprofessional education in their institutions and students' knowledge of and attitudes toward it.

Methodology

We conducted a cross-sectional questionnaire-based study among students from a university in the southwest of Saudi Arabia, who were enrolled in courses in medical, pharmacy, nursing, dentistry, allied health, and public health. Following validation, the questionnaire included six questions to probe their knowledge, ten questions to gauge their attitude, and eleven questions to inquire about the growth and use of IPE in their institutions. Multiple regression and the Kruskal-Wallis test were used to examine the data.

Results

The survey involved 600 students, and 66.8% of the respondents were male. Less than one-third of students studying medicine replied to the survey, while students in the public health department had the lowest response rate. Compared to students in other programs, pharmacy students achieved a higher mean attitude score toward IPE (P < 0.001). Additionally, nursing and pharmacy students' mean IPE awareness scores were higher than those of medical students (P < 0.001). However, all program participants firmly agreed that integrating IPE into the curriculum was a good idea.

Conclusions

The study found that students of a few programs had awareness and a positive attitude toward interprofessional education. Nonetheless, all of them favored its inclusion in their curriculum. They also stressed the need to educate teaching faculty on interprofessional education, to develop skilled facilitators within their institutions.

The impact of learning styles on attitudes to interprofessional learning among nursing students: a longitudinal mixed methods study

BACKGROUND

A functional interprofessional teamwork improves collaborative patient-centred care. Participation in interprofessional education promotes cooperation after graduation. Individuals tend to use different approaches to learning depending on their individual preferences. The purpose of this study was to explore nursing students' experiences of professional development with a focus on the relationship between attitudes to interprofessional learning and learning styles.

METHODS

A longitudinal parallel mixed-methods design. The study was carried out at a Swedish three-year nursing program from August 2015 to January 2020. On enrolment, thirty-four students self-assessed their attitudes to interprofessional learning according to the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale, and their learning style according to Kolbs' Learning Style Inventory. In the final semester the students participated in an interview focusing on their experiences and perceptions of teamwork and they self-assessed their attitudes to interprofessional learning again.

RESULTS

Our findings indicated that 64.7% had a predominantly concrete learning style and 35.3% had a predominantly reflective learning style. No significant relationship with internal consistency reliability was identified among the participants between attitudes to interprofessional learning and learning styles. The content analysis resulted in four main categories: Amazing when it's functional; Deepened insight of care; Increased quality of care; Understanding own profession which were summarized in the theme: Well-functioning teams improve patients' outcome and working environment.

CONCLUSION

The students' attitudes to interprofessional learning were positive and it was considered as an opportunity to participate in interprofessional cooperation during internship. Transformative learning is a useful strategy in fostering interprofessional relationships due to the interdependence of various professions in interprofessional teams. When students are guided to use reflection to develop new perspectives and meaning structures, they acquire emotional and rational skills beneficial for interprofessional cooperation.