Bridging understanding in nursing and radiography students: An interprofessional experience

Health professionals must improve interprofessional communication and collaboration to ensure quality patient care. Through socialization, simulation, and case-based learning, improved collaboration among health professions is possible. Students from two programs, nursing and radiography, were involved in interprofessional activities, including case studies, simulation, and debriefing. The students completed a pre- and postsurvey to assess attitudes and knowledge of each profession. Data were analyzed in SPSS using paired t tests. Nursing and radiography students were assessed separately. A 4-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 4 (strongly agree) was used to quantify student selections. The nursing students showed increased confidence and knowledge in preparing patients, and deeper understanding of the role and knowledge base of the radiographer. While significant changes in student nurse attitudes and perceptions were noted, no significance was shown pre- to postsurvey in the radiography students' attitudes and perceptions. This may be attributed to an increased level of clinical exposure and experience in the radiography students. The perceptions of the students during debriefing, as well as from the survey data, indicate a heightened awareness of the collaborative nature of health care. Student comments support interprofessional education (IPE) as a method to reach beyond a single professional boundary and increase communication and understanding among healthcare providers. Through this activity, attitudes changed and knowledge of health profession roles increased in novice nursing students. Health professions educators must embrace IPE to encourage interprofessional collaboration for patients navigating the complex healthcare system today and in the future.