Abstract
Traditional discipline-specific training has limitations in facilitating inter-professional communication and collaboration. To address this issue, two local universities in Hong Kong launched an interprofessional team-based learning program to allow the undergraduate healthcare students to form teams and experience collaborative problem-solving. This study aimed to evaluate the experiences of nursing and physiotherapy undergraduates following interprofessional learning activities. Twenty-seven 3rd-year nursing and physiotherapy undergraduates were recruited through purposive sampling. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and written feedback was solicited until data saturation was achieved. An inductive thematic analysis was used for the data, and each theme was mutually exclusive. The findings revealed the positive experiences of the students with this interprofessional learning activity. Three main themes emerged: (1) the process of interprofessional learning; (2) profession-related outcomes of interprofessional learning; and (3) patient-related outcomes of interprofessional learning. The study indicated that interprofessional team-based learning activities enhanced learning experiences of the students through interactive learning with other healthcare students. Experiences of relationships that are trustful and complementary allow students to develop confidence in knowledge transfer and in interprofessional collaboration, as well as in providing a holistic patient-centered care. These findings substantiate the importance and value of interprofessional learning in healthcare education.
Highlights
Interprofessional education (IPE) has received an increasing attention and interest as a valuable learning experience for healthcare professionals [1]
Our findings suggest that the undergraduate nursing and physiotherapy students gained a positive learning experience through this IPTBL activity
This study showed that interprofessional education provides an important vehicle for undergraduate students to explore and develop their professional values
Summary
Interprofessional education (IPE) has received an increasing attention and interest as a valuable learning experience for healthcare professionals [1]. The IPE prepares healthcare professionals to share knowledge and experiences within a team and develop a better understanding of healthcare problems by integrating multiple perspectives. This teaching approach is crucial because future healthcare professionals will encounter increasingly complex health problems, and there is a growing number of vulnerable groups suffering from various diseases that require a team management [2] to bring about positive patient outcomes [3]. In the process of IPE, students can have positive learning experiences (Table 1), including effective communication and recognition of different professional values [10]. They can build trusting relationships among team members to develop insights into teamwork [11]. The ability of students to function as effective members of a team can facilitate interprofessional collaboration, which can optimize the quality of patient care [13]
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