Interprofessional practice: Social work students' perspectives on collaboration.

Area of Science:

• Social Work Education
• Interprofessional Practice
• Healthcare Collaboration

Background:

• Interprofessional practice is increasingly valued in healthcare settings.
• Educating social work students on interprofessional collaboration is crucial.
• Understanding social work students' perspectives is key to effective training.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore social work students' experiences with interprofessional practice.
• To assess social work students' attitudes and perspectives on interprofessional collaboration.
• To identify factors influencing social work students' engagement in interprofessional settings.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study utilizing a non-probability convenience sample.
• Data collected from 125 social work students at a New York State university.
• Linear regression analysis used to examine relationships between variables.

Main Results:

• Students demonstrated overall positive perspectives toward interprofessional collaboration.
• Positive attitudes toward interprofessional practice strongly predicted overall perspectives.
• Students reported limited practical experience and formal training in interprofessional teams.

Conclusions:

• Enhancing fieldwork opportunities in interprofessional settings is recommended.
• Increasing the number of interprofessional courses, especially with other disciplines, is advised.
• Further training and experience are needed to prepare social work students for collaborative practice.