Faculty perceptions of key factors in interprofessional education

Embedding interprofessional education (IPE) into academic programs presents structural, curricular and human factor challenges. Nurses and physicians comprise the dominant dyad in healthcare, and therefore nursing and medical faculty are key in guiding future IPE approaches. However, faculty experiences with IPE are rarely reported. This paper presents perceptions of medical and nursing faculty about key factors related to IPE for pre-licensure medical and nursing students. Semi-structured interviews with 32 faculty from three Midwest universities were analyzed thematically in this phenomenological study based on collaboration and cooperation theories. Findings clustered into six categories. Specific subthemes little discussed in the literature are addressed in detail. Study participants felt the most powerful interprofessional student experiences were authentic and faculty-facilitated, that constructive clinical environments were crucial, that curriculum design challenges included disparities between undergraduate and graduate education, and that leadership commitment to full-time and adjunct faculty engagement and development was imperative.