Interprofessional clinical training for undergraduate students in an emergency department setting

Interprofessional education (IPE) for teams of undergraduate students has since 1999 been carried out at the orthopedic emergency department at the Karolinska University Hospital. During a 2-week period, teams of medical, nursing and physiotherapy students practice together. With the aim of training professional and collaboration skills, the teams take care of patients with varying acute complaints, under the guidance of supervisors from each profession. This study describes the educational model and compares the attitudes of the different student categories participating in this unique IPE model. All students who participated in this experience during the period 2008-2010 were asked to fill in a questionnaire on completion of their training period. Results showed that all three categories, with no significant difference, highly appreciated the setting and the team training. Results also showed that the training significantly increased the students' knowledge of their own professional role as well as their knowledge of the other professions. We conclude that training at an emergency department can provide excellent opportunities for interprofessional team training for undergraduate students. The teamwork enhances the students' understanding of the professional roles and can contribute to a more holistic approach to patient care.