Fostering Undergraduate Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy Students' Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Using High...

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Education
• Medical Simulation
• Interprofessional Practice

Background:

• Interprofessional education (IPE) is crucial for high-quality patient care.
• Readiness for IPE among senior medical, nursing, and pharmacy students using high-fidelity human patient simulators is not well-established.
• This study investigates student preparedness for simulated IPE.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore senior undergraduate students' readiness for interprofessional learning.
• To determine if high-fidelity interprofessional education enhances readiness for interprofessional learning.
• To assess the impact of simulated patient scenarios on interprofessional learning attitudes.

Main Methods:

• An interventional study design with pre-test and post-test assessments.
• 24 senior undergraduate students from medicine, nursing, and pharmacy were assigned to seven interprofessional teams.
• A high-fidelity human patient simulator module focused on acute anaphylaxis management was utilized.
• The Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) was administered before and after the intervention.

Main Results:

• Students reported high initial readiness for interprofessional learning.
• Participation in the high-fidelity interprofessional education module significantly improved readiness.
• Key improvements included enhanced attitudes towards teamwork, communication skills, and mutual respect/trust.

Conclusions:

• Senior undergraduate medicine, nursing, and pharmacy students demonstrate increased readiness for high-fidelity interprofessional learning via human patient simulators.
• Findings support integrating high-fidelity IPE into undergraduate healthcare curricula.
• Simulated patient scenarios effectively foster interprofessional competencies.