Interprofessional education in practice: Evaluation of a work integrated aged care program.

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Interprofessional Learning
• Geriatric Care

Background:

• Traditional health professional education often occurs in silos, hindering the development of essential collaboration skills.
• Aged care settings present unique opportunities for interprofessional collaboration due to residents' complex and chronic health needs.
• Interprofessional education (IPE) is recognized as a key framework for fostering collaborative practice among healthcare students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate changes in student attitudes towards interprofessional collaboration following participation in a pilot IPE program.
• To assess the impact of an IPE program in an aged care setting on student perceptions of interprofessional learning.

Main Methods:

• A pilot three-week interprofessional education program was implemented.
• Students from nursing, occupational therapy, and aged care programs participated.
• The Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) was administered pre- and post-program.

Main Results:

• Significant positive shifts in student attitudes towards interprofessional collaboration were observed.
• Students reported improved perceptions of learning from peers in other disciplines.
• Key findings indicated that learning with diverse health students pre-qualification enhances post-qualification relationships.

Conclusions:

• The pilot IPE program successfully enhanced student learning within interprofessional teams and the aged care environment.
• IPE in aged care settings fosters positive attitudes and improves collaboration skills among future health professionals.
• Further development of sustainable IPE programs is recommended to benefit aged care residents.