Insights from an interprofessional education course- a mixed methods study among novice healthcare professionals.

Interprofessional education (IPE) is essential for preparing nursing students to engage in collaborative, team-based care. However, coordinating IPE experiences is challenging for several reasons, including the limited number of health profession programs with summer enrollment. The Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program at the authors' university operates year-round on a four-semester schedule, making it difficult to ensure consistent IPE opportunities for every cohort, particularly those beginning in summer. To address this gap and advance best practices, the authors present a redesigned virtual simulation structured as an IPE experience that offers meaningful interdisciplinary engagement for summer-entry ABSN students.

Clinical training challenges in critical care units for nursing students: A qualitative content analysis.

While the adoption of psilocybin-assisted therapy for existential distress offers promising support for patients with life-threatening illnesses, implementing this intervention into palliative care settings presents significant real-world challenges. To examine palliative care stakeholders' knowledge and attitudes regarding psilocybin-assisted therapy, and identify barriers and facilitators to its implementation. We conducted a cross-sectional online survey between April 15 and December 18, 2024. The survey assessed perceived knowledge, attitudes, and perceived barriers and facilitators to the effective integration of psilocybin-assisted therapy into palliative care settings. One hundred and twenty-one adults involved in palliative care (physicians, other healthcare professionals, caregivers, and managers) were recruited from Canada's four most populous provinces: Québec, Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia. Forty-three percent of stakeholders reported having good knowledge of psilocybin's potential benefits and risks. Attitudes towards psilocybin-assisted therapy were predominantly non-favourable (61%), yet varied across occupational groups (p < 0.0001), with 95% of physicians reporting favourable attitudes. The lack of trained healthcare providers was viewed as the primary barrier to implementation. Key facilitators included further research and developing standardised intervention protocols. Sixty-eight percent of stakeholders endorsed the introduction of psilocybin-assisted therapy during the early stages of the illness trajectory. Translating the potential of psilocybin-assisted therapy for existential distress from clinical trials into palliative care settings requires careful consideration and collaboration with stakeholders. Given the significant divergence in perspectives between clinical and non-clinical groups, tailored interprofessional education could help build shared understanding and support effective implementation. Being conducted in Canada, transferability to different regulatory frameworks may be limited.

Poor oral health and oropharyngeal dysphagia are modifiable risk factors for aspiration pneumonia. Dental hygienists (DHs) and speech-language pathologists (SLP) provide specialized services to individuals with these issues and may benefit from interdisciplinary knowledge in these areas. The objective of this study was to assess how an interprofessional education (IPE) event influenced students' knowledge and competence in working with individuals at risk for aspiration pneumonia. The current study was a prospective, within-subjects cohort design. Participants included speech-language pathology and dental hygiene students (N = 52). The 3-hr IPE event provided didactic and hands-on training that focused on the modifiable risk factors for aspiration pneumonia. Outcomes were assessed with a content assessment, the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) Competency Self-Assessment Tool (Version 3), the Interprofessional Attitudes Scale (IPAS), and written feedback. Students scored significantly higher on the content assessment following the IPE event than at baseline. Ratings on the IPEC Interprofessional Interaction and the Interprofessional Values domains significantly increased following the IPE event, but their IPAS scores did not differ. Three themes emerged in students' written feedback, including: appreciation for an interactive and hands-on educational experience, growth through interprofessional content exploration, and desire for expanded interprofessional opportunities. Students particularly appreciated the hands-on activities (e.g., providing oral care, observing an endoscopy of the upper airway). The IPE event enhanced the interprofessional knowledge and short-term perceived competence of the student clinicians. Long-term interprofessional competence may be best supported by integrating IPE programmatically into academic curricula and assessing outcomes with longitudinal, behavior-based evaluations.

Interprofessional service-learning (IPSL) combines community-based experiential learning with interprofessional education (IPE), fostering collaborative competencies and civic responsibility among students. Despite growing interest, the integration of service-learning and IPE in undergraduate dental curricula remains underexplored. This scoping review was conducted using the Arksey and O'Malley framework and refined by Levac et al., adhering to the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Several electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCO, and EMBASE) were searched from 1960 to March 2025 using a combination of controlled vocabulary and free-text terms. Manual searching of reference lists and grey literature through Google Scholar and institutional repositories supplemented the database searches. Screening and data extraction were conducted by two independent reviewers based on pre-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Thematic synthesis was used to analyse and categorise the findings qualitatively. From 1422 records, 11 eligible studies published between 2015 and 2023 were included. Most studies were conducted in the United States, with one from Canada. IPSL interventions occurred in diverse settings, including refugee shelters, rural clinics, prisons, and global health contexts. Dental students engaged with disciplines such as medicine, nursing, pharmacy, public health, social work, law and others. Key themes included 'Implementation Contexts and Interprofessional Partnerships', 'Oral Health Promotion and Prevention', 'Oral Health Literacy Outcomes', 'Reflective Learning', and 'Student Perceptions and Attitudes'. IPSL is an impactful educational strategy for dental students, promoting both clinical and interprofessional development. Future programmes should include structured preparatory training and longitudinal assessment to sustain learning outcomes and enhance the reach of IPSL globally.

Clinicians and nonclinicians, such as recovery coaches and care navigators, serve important roles in addiction treatment. Literature is limited regarding what interprofessional training is needed to care for clients with opioid use disorder (OUD). The Kentucky Opioid Overdose Prevention and Education Network (KY-OPEN) is a virtual education series developed as part of the HEALing (Helping End Addiction Long-Term) Communities Study providing education on evidence-based practices for treating OUD. This article describes KY-OPEN's development, curriculum, engagement, and early impact. KY-OPEN curriculum development aimed to ensure adequate interprofessional health literacy regarding fundamentals of OUD treatment. Participants were recruited through weekly newsletters distributed among study personnel and partnering community members. Six and 16-month post-launch surveys evaluated engagement, utility of KY-OPEN topics, and perceived confidence in skill development. The 68-session curriculum, delivered from January 2021 to June 2022, had a mean of 23 people attend each live session and 1713 asynchronous recorded session views during delivery. Survey results indicated high satisfaction with content, high professional relevance, and high confidence in addressing stigma, providing appropriate referrals, and educating others about OUD. Virtual interprofessional education can successfully engage and provide helpful training to clinicians and nonclinicians about OUD.

ABSTRACT The increasing complexity of health care has highlighted the need for interprofessional education (IPE) to foster collaborative practice among health professionals. The Attitudes Toward Health Care Teams Scale (ATHCTS) is a widely recognized tool for assessing attitudes toward teamwork, with a modified 14-item version (modified ATHCTS) adapted for broader use. This study aimed to evaluate the validity and reliability of the modified ATHCTS translated into the native languages of four countries – Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, and Mongolia – to determine its applicability in diverse cultural and educational settings. The study participants were 1,705 students from various health disciplines. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the scale’s construct validity, revealing a two-factor structure (“Team Value” and “Team Efficiency”) in most contexts, although factor structure of the factor “Team Value” varied by country. These differences suggest that cultural and educational contexts, particularly clinical exposure, might influence how students conceptualize professional identity and team communication. Although the modified ATHCTS is a valid universal tool, researchers should apply country-specific factor structures to ensure accurate assessment and tailor IPE curricula to local professional identity formation needs.

Pharmacy graduates are expected to collaborate effectively within interprofessional healthcare teams. However, current training lacks structured opportunities for interprofessional learning. Simulation-based interprofessional education (sim-IPE) offers a promising approach to address this gap. This study explored the training needs and perceptions of pharmacy students regarding sim-IPE at Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST). We conducted a formative qualitative study among pharmacy students and faculty at MUST in October 2025. In-depth interviews were conducted with 14 fourth-year pharmacy students, and key informant interviews with three purposively selected faculty members involved in curriculum design. Data was collected using interview guides developed based on the Theoretical Domains Framework. Audio-recorded data were transcribed verbatim, cleaned and analyzed in NVivo version 14 using framework analysis. Four themes emerged. First, the current clinical training was constrained by limited clinical training exposure, preceptor shortages, and siloed learning. Second, barriers to IPE included professional hierarchy, low student confidence, scheduling conflicts, and limited simulation capacity. Third, the enablers for successful implementation included skilled facilitation, curriculum integration, institutional support, and simulation's safe learning environment. Fourth, effective communication skills, pharmaceutical care, and interprofessional collaboration competencies were identified as essential needs for effective participation. Participants anticipated benefits for professional development and patient care from interprofessional learning. Pharmacy students and faculty perceived sim-IPE as a valuable approach for addressing gaps in current clinical training and strengthening readiness for collaborative practice. The main training needs identified were communication skills, role clarity, teamwork, pharmaceutical care competencies, and confidence to contribute within interprofessional teams. Implementation will require attention to professional hierarchy, faculty preparation, curriculum integration, scheduling, and simulation resources. These findings provide practical guidance for the design of a contextually appropriate sim-IPE module for undergraduate pharmacy students in Uganda and similar resource-constrained health professions education settings.

Virtual Surgical Grand Rounds Allow Greater Multidisciplinary and Interprofessional Education and Collaboration.

IntroductionHealth care professionals experience grief reactions as part of their work, yet education in processing these experiences is limited. Learners are particularly vulnerable, as they are known to experience strong emotional reactions and often lack tools or space to process difficult experiences. To address this gap, we developed a novel workshop introducing a structured approach to help educators support learners experiencing grief.MethodsWe conducted a 1-hour virtual workshop at 2 pediatric institutions for interprofessional health professions educators. Facilitators introduced the Turn Inward, Explore, Acknowledge, Resources, and Support (TEARS) framework, offering strategies for educators supporting learner grief. We assessed participant comfort with the framework using Likert scales, anticipated behavior change, and framework utilization at 3 months using anonymous post- and longitudinal follow-up surveys.ResultsA total of 121 educators participated. Postsession, 80% of respondents committed to changing their teaching practices, and 64% felt more confident supporting grieving learners. At 3-month follow-up, 86% reported using at least 1 TEARS component, most commonly “turning inward” and “acknowledging.” Time constraints and lack of applicable incidents were the most cited barriers.DiscussionHealth care professional grief is unique, is underdiscussed, and presents a critical educational opportunity to help learners develop skills for grief processing, which may ultimately promote professional sustainability. Findings from implementing this novel workshop suggest increased comfort, increased intentions to change behavior, and more frequent application of the TEARS framework. Expanding this work to additional contexts and assessing its impact on learners are key next steps in advancing health professions grief processing education.

ABSTRACT Introduction Digital technologies are increasingly incorporated into dental education to improve training and promote more objective skill assessment. Digital superimposition enables quantitative comparison between student preparations and reference models but is seldom applied in crown preparation training. Conventional methods using extracted teeth lack standardization and provide limited quantitative feedback. This study evaluated whether a digital superimposition–based assessment framework using standardized 3D‐printed teeth yields objective measurements for expert‐defined pass–fail evaluations of crown preparations. Materials and Methods Thirty‐three dental interns prepared crowns on standardized 3D‐printed mandibular molar models. The preparations were scanned and digitally superimposed onto a predefined standard to calculate volumetric and surface area deviations. A single‐group pre–post design was adopted to ensure educational equity in irreversible skill training. Pass–fail outcomes were determined through combined clinical and technical evaluations. Changes between pre‐training (T1) and post‐training (T2) assessments were analysed using McNemar's exact test and geometric discrepancies were examined for construct‐related validity. After T2, the participants were surveyed for their perceptions. Results The proportion of acceptable preparations increased significantly from 30.3% at T1 to 69.7% at T2, with no performance regression. Acceptable preparations showed significantly smaller volumetric and surface area deviations from the digital standard compared to non‐acceptable preparations. The participants perceived high value in self‐evaluation and interprofessional communication. Conclusion Digital superimposition analysis using standardized 3D‐printed models provides objective metrics of expert‐defined preparation quality. This framework facilitates formative assessment within a competency‐based medical education context and enhances interprofessional education by bridging the gap between clinical and technical standards.

Interprofessional collaboration in trauma care in South Asia: A scoping review of barriers, interventions, and implications for patient and system outcomes.

Objectives Miscommunication between hearing care professionals (HCPs), spoken language interpreters, and patients in interpreter-assisted appointments poses serious risks, including misdiagnosis and ineffective treatment. Structured briefing and debriefing sessions between HCPs and interpreters may mitigate these risks. This study examined the perceptions, practices, and factors influencing structured communication sessions between HCPs and interpreters. Design and Study Sample A mixed-methods design combined semi-structured interviews (n = 33) with an online survey (n = 215) targeting HCPs and interpreters. Descriptive and inferential statistics analysed the quantitative data, while thematic analysis provided qualitative insights. Results Significant attitude disparities emerged: 75.2% of interpreters favoured pre-appointment briefings versus 53.0% of HCPs (p=.004), while 38.9% and 31.8% respectively supported post-appointment debriefings (p<.001). Two themes emerged: (1) Differing perceptions of briefing contribute to inconsistent implementation, and (2) Limited understanding of debriefing restricts its effective use. Conclusions A critical gap exists between perceived value and actual implementation of structured communication practices, increasing risks of miscommunication and potential clinical errors. In audiology, these errors risk diagnostic inaccuracy and suboptimal hearing management. Addressing this requires a multilevel intervention combining interprofessional collaboration education with systemic reforms, including dedicated time allocation and formalised protocols integrated into routine clinical workflows to enhance communication accuracy and improve patient outcomes.

Interprofessional education (IPE) prepares healthcare professionals (HCP) for interprofessional collaborative practice (IPCP) by fostering knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes. Attitudes trigger approach or avoidance motivation, making engagement with IPCP more likely when HCPs hold positive attitudes. As research has struggled to consistently demonstrate a positive, long-term impact of IPE on healthcare students' attitudes, we investigated attitude development longitudinally in three undergraduate cohorts studying to become dieticians, midwives, nurses, or physiotherapists at a university of applied sciences in Switzerland. Specifically, we examined (1) whether related interprofessional attitude dimensions influenced each other over time, (2) how stable these dimensions were, (3) the impact of student characteristics, and (4) whether attitudes improved across time. We conducted a longitudinal study using structural equation modeling (SEM) to estimate cross-lagged panel models (CLPM) based on two out of three dimensions of the German version of the Interprofessional Attitudes Scale (G-IPAS): Teamwork, Roles, Responsibilities (TRR) and Community-Centeredness (CC). Of 879 undergraduate students who began their studies between 2018 and 2021, 234 provided data at least twice and were included in the final analyses. No cross-lagged effects were found between TRR and CC, however they showed moderate to moderate-to-strong stability across time. Student characteristics influenced attitudes: semester of study was positively associated with CC, male sex was negatively associated with CC, dietetics students reported more positive CC attitudes, and physiotherapy students reported more negative TRR attitudes. TRR attitude scores decreased significantly over time, while a change in CC could not be verified due to inadequate model fit. IPE did not produce the expected positive effect on interprofessional attitude development during undergraduate healthcare studies, in contrast to much previous research. The absence of reciprocal effects between attitude dimensions across time may indicate that they are serving different underlying psychological functions, with TRR being more utilitarian and CC being more value-oriented. Tailoring IPE curricula to the underlying psychological functions that interprofessional attitudes serve in different learner groups may enhance their effectiveness, thereby fostering positive and durable attitudinal change.

The pressing shortage of professionals in urology increases pressure on medical education and recruitment. Interdisciplinary teaching wards (ITWs) may offer amodel to enhance clinical training, promote interdisciplinary competencies, and thereby help mitigate scarcity. This review explores the concept, evidence, structure, and specific application in urology. Systematic literature search of PubMed, Google Scholar, and educational databases up to mid-2025. reports on interdisciplinary/interprofessional teaching wards, clinical teaching units, clerkships, especially in surgical fields and urology; data on structure, outcomes, implementation. Historically, teaching wards arose from clinical teaching hospitals and interprofessional education in the 20thcentury. Their structure typically includes multidisciplinary teams, rotating learners, supervised patient care, and curriculum with outcomes and feedback. Evidence shows benefits in clinical skills, teamwork, patient satisfaction, and apossible reduction of errors and costs. However, urology-specific data are sparse. In urology, clerkships, electives and subinternships incorporate certain aspects, but fully developed ITWs in urology are rare. ITWs hold significant promise for improving education and may contribute to alleviating the workforce shortage in urology. More empirical studies focused on urology are required, especially randomized controlled trials, economic analyses, and implementation studies.

Interprofessional education (IPE) is vital for preparing pharmacy students for collaborative practice but is often constrained by logistical challenges. This study examined the preliminary impact of an AI-enhanced simulated interprofessional learning intervention on pharmacy students' self-reported interprofessional competencies and perceived readiness for AI use in healthcare, using an antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) scenario to assess the application of clinical decision-making. A pilot quasi-experimental study with an explanatory mixed-methods design was conducted among pharmacy students (n = 112). The intervention involved an AI-enhanced simulation using virtual avatars representing healthcare roles within a recurrent urinary tract infection case. Outcomes were assessed using the Interprofessional Collaborative Competency Attainment Survey (ICCAS), the Medical Artificial Intelligence Readiness Scale (MAIRS), and an AMS knowledge questionnaire. Paired t-tests, repeated-measures MANCOVA, and multiple linear regression analyses were performed, and thematic analysis was used for qualitative data. Participants reported significantly higher post-intervention self-reported scores across all outcomes. ICCAS scores increased from 58.82 ± 14.67 to 68.52 ± 12.45, MAIRS from 75.16 ± 10.85 to 82.12 ± 9.49, and AMS from 6.21 ± 1.74 to 8.08 ± 1.35 (all p < 0.001), with all subscales showing significantly higher post-values (p < 0.001). MANCOVA confirmed a significant overall time effect (p < 0.001). Qualitative findings highlighted students' perceived improvements in communication, teamwork, clinical reasoning, and critical awareness of AI limitations. Higher academic year, prior IPE exposure, simulation experience, and digital literacy were significantly associated with higher outcome scores. Students without prior IPE exposure showed larger pre-post ICCAS change scores than those with prior IPE exposure (Δ difference = 4.2, p = 0.008, d = 0.52). This pilot study suggests that AI-enhanced simulated interprofessional learning may be associated with improvements in students' self-reported collaborative competencies, perceived readiness for AI use in healthcare, and short-term AMS knowledge scores. Given the single-group pre-post design and short-term assessment, findings should be interpreted as preliminary and require confirmation through future controlled randomized and longitudinal studies.

Wound care is a critical aspect of nursing practice, yet nurses often face challenges related to limited knowledge, lack of structured training, and insufficient organizational support. The integration of specialist wound care nurses has been suggested to enhance clinical outcomes, continuity of care, and professional competence among nursing staff. This study aimed to explore nurses' experiences with a specialist wound care nurse in a hospital setting and to identify the impact of this role on clinical practice and team performance. A qualitative descriptive-exploratory study was conducted in 2024-2025 at a specialized surgical and trauma care center in Iran. Ten participants, including staff nurses, head nurses, a specialist wound care nurse, and a nursing instructor, were recruited through purposeful sampling with maximum variation. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews (average duration: 35min) and field notes, and analyzed using Graneheim and Lundman's qualitative content analysis framework. Trustworthiness was ensured through credibility, dependability, transferability, and confirmability strategies. Four main categories emerged: Specialized Wound Care, Continuity of Wound Care, Empowerment of Nurses, and Challenges and Strategies for Improvement. Specialist nurses enhanced evidence-based decision-making, improved care quality, accelerated wound healing, and reduced complications. They facilitated continuous, coordinated care across wards and empowered other nurses through clinical education and experiential learning. Barriers included staff shortages, undefined organizational positions, and insufficient managerial support, highlighting the need for structural and policy interventions. The presence of a specialist wound care nurse positively influences patient outcomes, care continuity, and professional development of nursing staff. For sustainable implementation, organizational support, formalized positions, adequate staffing, and Interprofessional education are essential. Integrating this role into hospital systems can foster safe, evidence-based, and patient-centered wound management.

ABSTRACT This cross-sectional observational study (2021–2024) evaluated student attitudes and perceptions regarding interprofessional learning and teamwork following an interprofessional pharmacology activity. Students in the first-year professional pharmacy (P1), third-year nursing (BSN3), and third-year medical (MED3) programs were organized into interprofessional groups and tasked with preparing and delivering 15-minute presentations (either in person or online) on clinically relevant pharmacology topics as applied to a clinical case. Students’ attitudes and perceptions were assessed using a 17-item survey derived from the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS), using a 5-point Likert scale. Descriptive statistics, Kruskal – Wallis tests, and Mann – Whitney U tests were used for analysis. Out of 659 participants, 464 completed the survey (70%), with higher response rates among nursing students (72%) and for in-person sessions (81%). Factor analysis revealed two underlying domains, interprofessional education (IPE) and teamwork, with excellent internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.97 and 0.95, respectively). The majority of students (77% in each discipline) expressed agreement with both IPE and teamwork. The overall mean scores were similar across disciplines (3.92 ± 0.07 for Pharmacy, 3.95 ± 0.07 for Nursing, 3.92 ± 0.08 for Medicine) and academic years (3.93 ± 0.08 for 2021, 4.07 ± 0.08 for 2022, 3.90 ± 0.08 for 2023, 3.80 ± 0.09 for 2024). Kruskal – Wallis tests indicated no significant differences by discipline or year on the overall score and subscales. Mann – Whitney U tests revealed no differences in average ratings between in-person (3.92 ± 0.05) and online formats (3.94 ± 0.07). These findings suggest that the IPE pharmacology activity fostered positive perceptions of interprofessional collaboration, consistently across disciplines, years, and delivery modes.

Polypharmacy is a growing health care concern that is ameliorated through deprescribing, the process of safely removing inappropriate medications. Despite the proven benefits of deprescribing, formal deprescribing education in the health professions in the United States, including interprofessional deprescribing activities, is limited. A deprescribing interprofessional educational (IPE) simulation activity was conducted with 52 third- and fourth-year health professions students to improve their understanding of deprescribing and communication among the interprofessional health care team. The virtual simulation featured prebriefing, an unfolding case study, and debriefing. In total, 21 MD students, 20 PharmD (Doctor of Pharmacy) students, and 11 DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice) and FNP (Family Nurse Practitioner) students participated in the IPE simulation activity. A retrospective pre/post survey was administered, with 49 students (94%) responding. Participants provided positive feedback about the simulation, indicating that they rated the activity highly, valued the unfolding case study used, and were able to consolidate their learning on deprescribing. IPE activities are a promising avenue for deprescribing education.