Evaluation of an Asynchronous Online Interprofessional Clinical Experience for DNP Students

Little evidence exists guiding interprofessional experiences in Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs, especially in online learning environments. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate a DNP program interprofessional clinical experience.

Students enrolled in an online asynchronous DNP 15-week course used direct observation and individual and group reflection to evaluate team interprofessional collaboration. Observations were measured using the Jefferson Teamwork Observation Guide (JTOG).

Eleven students conducted 84 interprofessional observations. The overall mean score across all JTOG observations was 3.44 (SD ± .48). No statistically significant differences exist in the overall or domain-specific scores by observer participation in the team or by type of setting. Corresponding reflections tended to support JTOG scores.

Findings suggest that this experience increased students' own personal awareness of interprofessional practice and helped them connect new learning to existing knowledge. How this translates into actual clinical or leadership practice is unknown and provides an important area for future investigation. [J Nurs Educ. 2017;56(10):618-622.].