Attitudes Toward Interprofessional Collaboration Among Students in the Health Care Professions

Juyoung Park,Elwood Hamlin,Michele Hawkins,Wesley Hawkins

doi:10.18060/2953

Abstract

This study investigated differences in attitudes expressed by medical, nursing, and social work students regarding interprofessional collaboration (a) between physician and nurse, (b) between nurse and social worker, and (c) between physician and social worker. A self-administered cross-sectional survey was presented to participants online. The Jefferson School of Attitudes Toward Physician-Nurse Collaboration (JSAPNC), a modified JSAPNC, and a demographic questionnaire were completed online by 80 students from medicine, nursing, and social work. Significant (p = ≤ .005) differences in attitudes toward interprofessional collaboration (IPC) were noted among social work, medical, and nursing students. Attitudes toward IPC in the health care setting were generally positive, with social work and nursing students showing more positive attitudes than medical students. Additional psychometric tests are required to obtain sound reliability and validity scores for the modified JSAPNC.

Highlights

This study investigated differences in attitudes expressed by medical, nursing, and social work students regarding interprofessional collaboration (a) between physician and nurse, (b) between nurse and social worker, and (c) between physician and social worker
6.0 df Overall findings from this pilot study are congruent with those from previous studies (e.g., Hojat et al, 2001; Leipzig et al, 2002; Ward et al, 2008), indicating that attitudes toward collaboration are generally positive among students from medicine, nursing, and social work
When compared to nursing and social work students, medical students were less positive toward interprofessional collaboration in all three combinations

Summary

Introduction

This study investigated differences in attitudes expressed by medical, nursing, and social work students regarding interprofessional collaboration (a) between physician and nurse, (b) between nurse and social worker, and (c) between physician and social worker. The Jefferson School of Attitudes Toward Physician-Nurse Collaboration (JSAPNC), a modified JSAPNC, and a demographic questionnaire were completed online by 80 students from medicine, nursing, and social work. Significant (p = ≤ .005) differences in attitudes toward interprofessional collaboration (IPC) were noted among social work, medical, and nursing students. Hospital readmissions were most frequently decreased when nurses, social workers, and physicians were satisfied with their interprofessional relationships on the care team (Leipzig et al, 2002). Physicians, nurses, and social workers have not been adequately trained to collaborate on health care teams for treating patients (Howe et al, 2001; Hyer, 1998). Despite its identified importance in the health care setting, students’ attitudes toward interprofessional collaboration and the significance of education of health professionals have not been clearly explored (Skinner, 2001)

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