Interprofessional learning for nursing students in practice periods: problems to overcome and possibilities for...

There is an urgent need for educational institutions to prepare students for collaborative practices in health care in the years to come. Facilitation of interprofessional learning (IPL) can be challenging for small campuses with few healthcare and social care education programmes. The aim of this study was to identify hindrances to, and opportunities for accessible interprofessional learning, for nursing students in a uniprofessional learning environment on the Norwegian West coast. Three focus group interviews were conducted with the following groups: nursing teachers, a hospital rehabilitation team and informants from a municipal home rehabilitation team. The data were analysed by hermeneutical phenomenological method. The following four main themes emerged the following: the tradition for interprofessional learning is not yet well established, IPL in the context of existing teams is better than IPL with other students, there is an urgent need to strengthen and adjust professional responsibilities and roles, and there is a need for communication to overcome hindrances to IPL.