Intercollegiate collaboration to promote interprofessional education (IPE)

Abstract

BackgroundBarriers may prevent opportunities for interprofessional education IPE. A regional university and community college overcame barriers to collaborate in an IPE experience. This article describes an IPE experience and students’ perceptions following the experience. MethodsAssociate degree nursing and physical therapist assistant students participated in IPE involving a low-fidelity safety simulation and teaching/learning presentations. Descriptive statistics were used to measure students’ perceptions of the IPE experience. ResultsStudents felt the safety simulation was a valuable experience and increased their confidence to identify safety issues. The teaching/learning presentations improved student knowledge on topics presented, increased confidence in teaching skills and collaborating with other disciplines, and increased awareness of other discipline's role in healthcare. DiscussionThe students’ perceptions and attitudes toward the interprofessional education experience were positive. The positive experience of collaborating may improve collaboration skills in future interprofessional interactions. ConclusionCollaborating with other institutions in the community may be a viable option for IPE experiences.