Effects of interprofessional education for medical and nursing students: enablers, barriers and expectations for optimizing future interprofessional collaboration – a qualitative study

Abstract Background To ensure high quality patient care an effective interprofessional collaboration between healthcare professionals is required. Interprofessional education (IPE) has a positive impact on team work in daily health care practice. Nevertheless, there are various challenges for sustai...

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Main Authors: Sabine Homeyer, Wolfgang Hoffmann, Peter Hingst, Roman F. Oppermann, Adina Dreier-Wolfgramm
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2018-04-01
Series:BMC Nursing
Subjects:
Online Access:http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12912-018-0279-x
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author Sabine Homeyer
Wolfgang Hoffmann
Peter Hingst
Roman F. Oppermann
Adina Dreier-Wolfgramm
author_facet Sabine Homeyer
Wolfgang Hoffmann
Peter Hingst
Roman F. Oppermann
Adina Dreier-Wolfgramm
author_sort Sabine Homeyer
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background To ensure high quality patient care an effective interprofessional collaboration between healthcare professionals is required. Interprofessional education (IPE) has a positive impact on team work in daily health care practice. Nevertheless, there are various challenges for sustainable implementation of IPE. To identify enablers and barriers of IPE for medical and nursing students as well as to specify impacts of IPE for both professions, the ‘Cooperative academical regional evidence-based Nursing Study in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’ (Care-N Study M-V) was conducted. The aim is to explore, how IPE has to be designed and implemented in medical and nursing training programs to optimize students’ impact for IPC. Methods A qualitative study was conducted using the Delphi method and included 25 experts. Experts were selected by following inclusion criteria: (a) ability to answer every research question, one question particularly competent, (b) interdisciplinarity, (c) sustainability and (d) status. They were purposely sampled. Recruitment was based on existing collaborations and a web based search. Results The experts find more enablers than barriers for IPE between medical and nursing students. Four primary arguments for IPE were mentioned: (1) development and promotion of interprofessional thinking and acting, (2) acquirement of shared knowledge, (3) promotion of beneficial information and knowledge exchange, and (4) promotion of mutual understanding. Major barriers of IPE are the coordination and harmonization of the curricula of the two professions. With respect to the effects of IPE for IPC, experts mentioned possible improvements on (a) patient level and (b) professional level. Experts expect an improved patient-centered care based on better mutual understanding and coordinated cooperation in interprofessional health care teams. To sustainably implement IPE for medical and nursing students, IPE needs endorsement by both, medical and nursing faculties. Conclusion In conclusion, IPE promotes interprofessional cooperation between the medical and the nursing profession. Skills in interprofessional communication and roles understanding will be primary preconditions to improve collaborative patient-centered care. The impact of IPE for patients and caregivers as well as for both professions now needs to be more specifically analysed in prospective intervention studies.
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spelling doaj.art-1773badc5a334f23b02391ec6a0caab92022-12-22T00:13:12ZengBMCBMC Nursing1472-69552018-04-0117111010.1186/s12912-018-0279-xEffects of interprofessional education for medical and nursing students: enablers, barriers and expectations for optimizing future interprofessional collaboration – a qualitative studySabine Homeyer0Wolfgang Hoffmann1Peter Hingst2Roman F. Oppermann3Adina Dreier-Wolfgramm4Institute for Community Medicine, Department Epidemiology of Health Care and Community Health, University Medicine GreifswaldInstitute for Community Medicine, Department Epidemiology of Health Care and Community Health, University Medicine GreifswaldNursing Board, University Medicine GreifswaldDepartment Nursing, Health and Administration, University of Applied Science NeubrandenburgInstitute for Community Medicine, Department Epidemiology of Health Care and Community Health, University Medicine GreifswaldAbstract Background To ensure high quality patient care an effective interprofessional collaboration between healthcare professionals is required. Interprofessional education (IPE) has a positive impact on team work in daily health care practice. Nevertheless, there are various challenges for sustainable implementation of IPE. To identify enablers and barriers of IPE for medical and nursing students as well as to specify impacts of IPE for both professions, the ‘Cooperative academical regional evidence-based Nursing Study in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’ (Care-N Study M-V) was conducted. The aim is to explore, how IPE has to be designed and implemented in medical and nursing training programs to optimize students’ impact for IPC. Methods A qualitative study was conducted using the Delphi method and included 25 experts. Experts were selected by following inclusion criteria: (a) ability to answer every research question, one question particularly competent, (b) interdisciplinarity, (c) sustainability and (d) status. They were purposely sampled. Recruitment was based on existing collaborations and a web based search. Results The experts find more enablers than barriers for IPE between medical and nursing students. Four primary arguments for IPE were mentioned: (1) development and promotion of interprofessional thinking and acting, (2) acquirement of shared knowledge, (3) promotion of beneficial information and knowledge exchange, and (4) promotion of mutual understanding. Major barriers of IPE are the coordination and harmonization of the curricula of the two professions. With respect to the effects of IPE for IPC, experts mentioned possible improvements on (a) patient level and (b) professional level. Experts expect an improved patient-centered care based on better mutual understanding and coordinated cooperation in interprofessional health care teams. To sustainably implement IPE for medical and nursing students, IPE needs endorsement by both, medical and nursing faculties. Conclusion In conclusion, IPE promotes interprofessional cooperation between the medical and the nursing profession. Skills in interprofessional communication and roles understanding will be primary preconditions to improve collaborative patient-centered care. The impact of IPE for patients and caregivers as well as for both professions now needs to be more specifically analysed in prospective intervention studies.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12912-018-0279-xInterprofessional educationEducation researchEducation, medical, graduateEducation, nursingQualitative research
spellingShingle Sabine Homeyer
Wolfgang Hoffmann
Peter Hingst
Roman F. Oppermann
Adina Dreier-Wolfgramm
Effects of interprofessional education for medical and nursing students: enablers, barriers and expectations for optimizing future interprofessional collaboration – a qualitative study
BMC Nursing
Interprofessional education
Education research
Education, medical, graduate
Education, nursing
Qualitative research
title Effects of interprofessional education for medical and nursing students: enablers, barriers and expectations for optimizing future interprofessional collaboration – a qualitative study
title_full Effects of interprofessional education for medical and nursing students: enablers, barriers and expectations for optimizing future interprofessional collaboration – a qualitative study
title_fullStr Effects of interprofessional education for medical and nursing students: enablers, barriers and expectations for optimizing future interprofessional collaboration – a qualitative study
title_full_unstemmed Effects of interprofessional education for medical and nursing students: enablers, barriers and expectations for optimizing future interprofessional collaboration – a qualitative study
title_short Effects of interprofessional education for medical and nursing students: enablers, barriers and expectations for optimizing future interprofessional collaboration – a qualitative study
title_sort effects of interprofessional education for medical and nursing students enablers barriers and expectations for optimizing future interprofessional collaboration a qualitative study
topic Interprofessional education
Education research
Education, medical, graduate
Education, nursing
Qualitative research
url http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12912-018-0279-x
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