Interprofessional Clinical Simulation-Based Education to Develop Professional Identity and Professionalism in Japanese Medical and Nursing Students

Abstract

Introduction: We conducted a multi-occupational team simulation training for medical and nursing students and clarified how professional identity and professionalism attitudes change with interprofessional education (IPE). Methods: Thirty-nine 4th-year medical students and 48 2nd-year nursing students were enrolled and distributed to the educational intervention group and the control group. We used a vocation identity scale including lower four subscales, a scale for professionalism including lower five subscales, a readiness for inter-professional learning scale (RIPLS), and an interdisciplinary education perception scale (IEPS). Results: Among the medical students, IPE using an advanced patient simulator improved the scores on the vocational identity scale, scale for professionalism, RIPLS, and IEPS. Among the nursing students, IPE improved the scores on the vocational identity scale, scale for professionalism, RIPLS, and IEPS. Conclusion: On-the-job training using simulated clinical training by a multi-occupational team improved vocational identification and professionalism.