Interprofessional education: a survey of students' collaborative competency outcomes.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Education
• Interprofessional Collaboration
• Patient Safety

Background:

• Interprofessional education (IPE) is crucial for preparing healthcare students for collaborative practice.
• Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPS) is a framework for effective teamwork.
• Assessing collaborative competencies in nursing, medicine, and pharmacy students is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of an IPE course on undergraduate students' collaborative competencies.
• To determine if IPE enhances students' skills in communication, collaboration, and team functioning.
• To explore the potential influence of improved collaborative competencies on patient safety.

Main Methods:

• An interprofessional education course was delivered to nursing, medicine, and pharmacy undergraduates.
• The Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPS) framework was integrated into the curriculum.
• The Interprofessional Collaborative Competency Attainment Survey assessed students' competencies before and after the course.

Main Results:

• A significant improvement (p < 0.001) in collaborative competencies was observed in 17 participating students post-course.
• Students reported enhanced skills in communication, collaboration, role understanding, patient-centered care, conflict resolution, and team functioning.
• The response rate for the post-course survey was 52% (17 out of 33 students).

Conclusions:

• IPE courses effectively enhance students' perceptions of their interprofessional and collaborative competencies.
• Improved collaborative skills developed through IPE can positively influence professional practice.
• Enhanced interprofessional collaboration has the potential to improve patient safety at the point of care.