The Effect of Interprofessional Education on Student Readiness for Collaborative Practice.

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Interprofessional Collaboration
• Patient-Centered Care

Background:

• Healthcare reform emphasizes patient-centric models and interprofessional collaboration.
• Interprofessional education (IPE) is crucial for developing collaborative care skills.
• Limited evidence supports IPE pedagogy in nursing and health science academia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the impact of an interprofessional education (IPE) intervention on student readiness for interprofessional learning.
• To assess changes in Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) scores before and after the intervention.

Main Methods:

• A quasiexperimental study design was employed.
• The intervention included a video presentation and debriefing following a simulated interprofessional patient care conference.
• Baccalaureate nursing and health science students participated, and pre- and posttest RIPLS scores were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) scores significantly increased across all subscales post-intervention.
• Distinct variations in score changes were observed between nursing and health science student subscales.

Conclusions:

• The IPE intervention demonstrated positive effects on students' readiness for interprofessional learning.
• Further research is needed to validate and support interprofessional education strategies in health science pedagogy.