Role Of Other Professionals Research Articles

Development of interprofessional education programmes in nursing care and oral healthcare for dental and nursing students

BackgroundInterprofessional education (IPE) is essential for healthcare students to collaborate effectively in multidisciplinary teams. This study aimed to identify the effect of IPE programmes in nursing care and oral healthcare on dental and nursing students’ perceptions of interprofessional collaboration.MethodsThe study included 101 third-year dental and 98 fourth-year nursing students. The participants were divided into mixed-professional groups of four (2 dental and 2 nursing students). They participated in nursing care and oral healthcare training programmes that included student-on-student training and discussion groups. Questionnaires regarding perceptions of interprofessional collaboration were distributed to the participants before and after the programmes to compare the programmes before and after and between the dental and nursing students. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test and chi-square test were used to compare the data.ResultsData from 79 dental students (42 males and 37 females) and 89 nursing students (4 males and 85 females) who completed both questionnaires were used for the comparisons. Perceptions of the differences between the approaches of different health professionals to nursing care, the roles of other professionals, and the need for multiprofessional collaboration improved significantly among both dental and nursing students after the programmes. Although the perception of their ability to communicate with unfamiliar or new people improved significantly only among the nursing students, other perceptions of their ability to communicate did not improve for either group. More dental students than nursing students chose nursing trainings as good programmes to participate in with other professional students, while more nursing students than dental students chose oral care trainings as good programmes. Many students commented that they learned about nursing and oral healthcare skills as well as the importance of teamwork and communication with other professionals. Seven students commented that they were more motivated to become dentists and nurses.ConclusionsThis study showed that IPE programmes for nursing care and oral healthcare might be effective at helping students understand other professionals and promoting multiprofessional collaboration. However, further studies are needed to develop IPE programmes to improve attitudes and abilities related to interprofessional communication skills.

‘Whose role is it anyway?’ Experiences of community nurses in the delivery and support of oral health care for older people living at home: a grounded theory study

BackgroundOlder people who receive care at home are likely to require support with oral health care. Community nurses, who are also referred to as district or home care nurses, have an important role with this population. This is because they are the healthcare professionals who are most likely to encounter this population, who may also not be receiving regular dental care or oral health promotion. However, few studies have explored community nursing experiences in the delivery and support of oral healthcare for older people living at home.MethodsA grounded theory approach was used to explore experiences of community nurses in the delivery and support of oral health care for older people living at home. Fifteen practising community nurses from the United Kingdom participated in one-to-one semi-structed interviews from May 2021 to December 2021. These interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using constant comparative analysis. Ethical approval was obtained for this study prior to data collection.ResultsFour categories emerged from the data to support development of the core phenomena. These four categories were: (1) Education, in relation to what community nurses knew about oral health, (2) Practice, with regards to how community nurses delivered oral health care to older people in their own home, (3) Confidence, with consideration to the extent to which this supported or impeded community nurses in providing oral healthcare to older people and (4) Motivation, in terms of the extent to which community nurses thought they could or should influence future practice improvement in the area. The core category was (C) Uncertainty as it was both present and central across all four categories and related to community nursing understanding about their specific role, and the role of other professionals, with reference to oral health of their patients.ConclusionsThis study reveals community nurses' uncertainty in providing oral healthcare to older adults at home. Emphasising comprehensive and continuous oral health education can boost nurses' confidence in patient support. Interprofessional collaboration and clear role definitions with oral health professionals are crucial for improving oral health outcomes in this vulnerable population.

Interprofessional virtual simulation to promote leadership and patient advocacy skills in pharmacy and nursing students

This curricular resource describes an educational opportunity to develop leadership and patient advocacy skills between pharmacy and nursing students through a virtual interprofessional simulation. This format selected was a virtual simulation as it is an increasingly popular teaching tool during the current health climate and can be applied to teach the interprofessional skills of leadership, patient advocacy, understanding the role of other professions, and interprofessional communication. The activity's objective was to increase student self-perception in confidence of leadership ability, patient advocacy skills, understanding the role of other professions, and interprofessional communication skills through an interprofessional leadership and patient advocacy focused simulation activity. To measure these four items, students self-rated their confidence level in these items in a pre- and post-survey. Thirty-six second-year pharmacy students and thirty-seven senior nursing students participated in the experience and completed both the pre and post surveys. Student self-rating increased in all four items. Additionally, all post survey respondents remarked that they would recommend this experience to future students. Participation in an interprofessional virtual simulation between pharmacy and nursing students focused on leadership development and patient advocacy demonstrated a statistically significant increase in students' confidence in their ability of leadership, patient advocacy skills, understanding the other profession's role, and interprofessional communication. The experience provides an engaging and effective method to teach students these vital skills within an interprofessional team.

Pulmonary rehabilitation implementation in Northwest Nigeria: A qualitative study of the views of respiratory health-care professionals

Objectives: Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) service is a comprehensive program comprising both pharmacological and non-pharmacological (exercise training, counseling, nutritional, etc.) treatment options that have been proven to improve physical and psychological conditions of patients with chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs). Nevertheless, PR is non-existent in most parts of Africa. The objective of this study is to report on the views of respiratory health professionals (pulmonologists and allied health) regarding the implementation of PR in Northwest Nigeria. Materials and Methods: Using a qualitative descriptive design, a group of 11 purposively sampled respiratory health professionals working in tertiary hospitals in Northwest Nigeria was contacted to participate in the study. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with the participants. Information power was used to stop data collection. The data obtained were analyzed using thematic synthesis. Results: Six themes emerged from the interviews as follows: (i) Description of PR as a comprehensive life-saving intervention that involves exercises, education, self-care, and nutrition; (ii) absence of PR units; (iii) possession of knowledge of their roles; (iv) possession of basic knowledge of roles of other team members; (v) lack of specialized workforce; and (vi) lack of facilities and equipment. In general, the results of the study indicated that some respondents were more conversant with PR as an intervention in CRDs than others. Furthermore, the respondents had basic knowledge of the roles of other professionals in the delivery of PR. Finally, the major barriers to the utilization of PR services were poor awareness, lack of equipment, and workforce. Conclusion: There was a general lack of comprehensive PR services in the study area with respiratory health-care professionals demonstrating variable, but mostly good knowledge of PR.

Sosiaali- ja terveydenhuollon ammattilaisten geneerinen osaaminen – kyselytutkimus sairaanhoitajille ja terveydenhoitajille

Social and health care professionals’ generic competence – survey to registered and public health nurses The aim of this study was to assess self-evaluated competence of nurses in delivering optimal services in social sector and primary health care. We assessed the relationship of on the job training to competence, too. To explore the competences of the nurses as an important professional group we constructed an electronic worksheet for nurses with statements about central issues in integrated customer service in social sector and public health care. Conclusions: Nurses mainly estimated their competences good in person-centred care approach. Better knowledge and ability of fitting various services together is needed as well as deeper understanding of the roles of other professionals. Continuous professional development at work needs to be secured. The nurses with little work experience should especially be included in the training.

5 Core Care Skills Simulation Training for Undergraduate Medical Students

Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, healthcare professionals have needed to rapidly adapt to changing demands. For some, this has involved adapting a ‘task-sharing’ approach which means that professionals undertake tasks that are not usually considered part of their job role, for example, Junior doctors giving medications and many were ‘redeployed’ completely to areas of greater need. In the same vein, the role of the medical student was expanded and explored and some medical students were given the opportunity to undertake paid work as healthcare support workers (HCSWs). It can be argued that the education and training of medical students are heavily focussed on a medical model of healthcare and often lacks depth insight into the caring aspects of patient care.The aim of the study was to create an interactive practical care skills simulation training aimed at medical students.We designed a practical simulation training programme based around the ‘fundamentals of care’ as defined by the nursing and midwifery council Early versions of this course were used as part of a comprehensive induction programme that included testimony from HCSWs working within the site hospital, who were able to share real-life experiences and offer peer support. This helped influence the development of this course to shape it into an innovative multi-disciplinary training. The training course was developed reactively to meet the developing need of students to prepare for redeployment by April of 2020 and since then has grown and developed into the half-day simulation training that is outlined above. It has now been incorporated into the in-hospital clinical skills curriculum for third-year medical students passing through the trust on the understanding that, this course has helped medical students to better understand the role of other professionals and will enable closer multi-disciplinary working in future. Anecdotally, it is obvious from interacting with students that there is a need to incorporate training in basic care into the medical curriculum to prepare students for task-sharing in the future as well as to better understand the caring professions and improve multi-disciplinary working. However, there is not enough post-course data to establish a true effect from this course at present. We continue to run this training course as part of the year 3 undergraduate clinical skills programme and aim to collect more survey data to evaluate and adapt it.

Change in attitudes and perceptions of undergraduate health profession students towards inter-professional education following an educational experience in post natal care

BackgroundInter-professional Education (IPE) has been identified as an educational program aimed at increasing collaboration among health professionals, and improving health care outcomes. IPE programs have been incorporated in several countries and have shown positive results. The same may not be true for Asian cultures which are typically more hierarchical than others. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of IPE on undergraduate health professional students’ attitudes and perceptions in an Indian context. MethodsFollowing an IPE experience undergraduate health professional students (n = 96) from three professions (Medicine, Nursing and Physiotherapy) completed a validated retro-pre questionnaire. Paired-sample t test was used to compare pre-test and post-test scores and ANOVA was used to compare the magnitude of change. Qualitative analysis was done for the open ended questions. ResultsThe three professions showed a significant improvement in attitude (p < 0.001). The physiotherapists were more comfortable (p = 0.021) with questioning and being questioned and the nurses showed a significantly (p = 0.012) greater increase in extent of reliability as compared to the other two professionals. Participants identified the concepts of “team work”, “knowledge of roles of other professionals” and “communication” as important to their learning and practice. ConclusionsThe study identified a positive attitude among students and the given intervention resulted in a significant improvement in their comfort levels and reliability on other professionals. It would be reasonable to conclude therefore that acceptability for Inter professional education in the Indian context is high in spite of the cultural differences and hierarchical nuances.

Improving Team Skills of Health Care Practitioners: Effects of an Interprofessional Education Program.

Health care practitioners in Parkinson's care need to learn effective interprofessional team skills. This study examines posttraining effects on team skills of health practitioners attending an interprofessional education (IPE) program for team-based Parkinson's care. Using a quasi-experimental pre-post design, practitioners (n = 236) in nine professions (physician, nurse and nurse practitioner, physician assistant, occupational, physical and music therapy, speech-language pathology, and social work) completed the validated, self-report Team Skills Scale, before and after the training. Associations of Team Skills Scale change with intention to change practice, measured at end of each training day, and with improved attitudes toward team, knowledge, confidence, and amount of new information were examined. All professions, except physician assistant, significantly improved perceived team skills, as did those showing greatest intention to change practice, with no meaningful differences in magnitude of change across profession groups. Team skills change was significantly associated with improved attitudes toward health care teams, increased knowledge about team and the role of other professions, and new knowledge gained. Confidence in Parkinson's care showed modest, statistically significant association with team skills improvement. The Allied Team Training for Parkinson-IPE program significantly improved perceived team skills of health care practitioners, effectively teaching about skills for collaborative teamwork. Future IPE research should explore whether similar programs in other settings achieve the enhanced team skills competencies with postlicensure practitioners observed here and validate our findings from self-developed measures using larger samples, additional professions, and follow-up of transfer of learning effects through direct observation of skills of actual teams.

Interprofessional Education Activity to Improve Communication With Older Adults With Hearing Loss

The purpose of this study was to determine how an interprofessional education (IPE) intervention with Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSAD) and Nursing students can affect their ability to communicate effectively with older adults who have hearing loss. As the older adult demographic increases, healthcare professionals must provide competent care, which includes effectively managing hearing-related communication difficulties in an increasingly diverse population. Faculty received IRB approval to conduct a descriptive mixed-methods study to determine knowledge and satisfaction of students completing an IPE activity. Students were divided into teams of CSAD and Nursing students. Students listened to a brief presentation on IPE before they were introduced to a complex case study of an 84-year-old male with age-related hearing loss. We administered a knowledge assessment questionnaire (KAQ) we created regarding communication with older adults before and after the activity. A total of 92 participants in the two programs (n=36 CSAD, n=56 Nursing) completed the KAQ before and after the activity and an evaluation with a Likert-type scale and open-ended questions. CSAD students scored significantly higher than Nursing students on the KAQ at baseline (F=25.69, p<0.001) and KAQ scores increased significantly (F=57.04, p<0.001) among both groups from pretest to posttest. The evaluation data indicated students were able to learn other perspectives and found the experience valuable. Based on the improvement in scores on the KAQ and evaluation data, this IPE activity increased knowledge related to communication with older adults with hearing loss and awareness of the roles of other professions.

EFFECTS OF INTERPROFESSIONAL COLLABORATION PROGRAM IN COMMUNITY ON THE PERCEPTION OF PHARMACY AND MEDICAL STUDENTS

Cardiovascular disease is the highest cause of mortality in Indonesia. One of the factors that causes the disease is low level of health awareness, including healthy lifestyle and health control. Improving public health awareness can be done by providing health education in collaboration with interprofessional health services. A collaboration involving students from various health-related disciplines aims to build good collaboration in the future after the corresponding students become health workers. This study is quasi-experimental. Students from health-related disciplines, especially pharmacy and medical students, were authorized to work directly in health screening and to provide education to the community. Student’s perceptions on the Interprofessional Collaboration (IPC) program were explored through Student Perceptions of Physician-Pharmacist Interprofessional Clinical Education (SPICE) questionnaire, which were given before and after the community project. Among 87 SPICE questionnaires, 78 questionnaires filled in completely were collected from pharmacy and medical students. The results of the questionnaire showed good perceptions before and after activities in the community with mean scores of 4.46 (0.35) and 4.5 (0.37) respectively. Wilcoxon test results found no significant difference on the total SPICE scores before and after the activity (P&gt; .05). One item from the SPICE questionnaire, which was the seventh item related to understanding the role of other professionals in the interdisciplinary team, had a significant increase (P &lt;.05).

Effectiveness of simulation-based interprofessional education for medical and nursing students in South Korea: a pre-post survey

BackgroundEffective collaboration and communication among health care team members are critical for providing safe medical care. Interprofessional education aims to instruct healthcare students how to learn with, from, and about healthcare professionals from different occupations to encourage effective collaboration to provide safe and high-quality patient care. The purpose of this study is to confirm the effectiveness of Interprofessional education by comparing students’ attitudes toward interprofessional learning before and after simulation-based interprofessional education, the perception of teamwork and collaboration between physicians and nurses, and the self-reported competency differences among students in interprofessional practice.MethodsThe survey responses from 37 5th-year medical students and 38 4th-year nursing students who participated in an interprofessional education program were analyzed. The Attitude Towards Teamwork in Training Undergoing Designed Educational Simulation scale, the Jefferson Scale of Attitudes Toward Physician-Nurse Collaboration, and the Interprofessional Education Collaborative competency scale were used for this study. The demographic distribution of the study participants was obtained, and the perception differences before and after participation in interprofessional education between medical and nursing students were analyzed.ResultsAfter interprofessional education, student awareness of interprofessional learning and self-competency in interprofessional practice improved. Total scores for the Jefferson Scale of Attitudes Toward Physician-Nurse Collaboration did not change significantly among medical students but increased significantly among nursing students. Additionally, there was no significant change in the perception of the role of other professions among either medical or nursing students.ConclusionsWe observed an effect of interprofessional education on cultivating self-confidence and recognizing the importance of interprofessional collaboration between medical professions. It can be inferred that exposure to collaboration situations through Interprofessional education leads to a positive perception of interprofessional learning. However, even after their interprofessional education experience, existing perceptions of the role of other professional groups in the collaboration situation did not change, which shows the limitations of a one-time short-term program. This suggests that efforts should be made to ensure continuous exposure to social interaction experiences with other professions.

Gaining an Understanding of Interprofessional Roles and Responsibilities Among Pre-Professional Health Students

INTRODUCTION Interprofessional education (IPE) literature at the pre-professional health program level is limited. Exposing students to IPE prior to health professional program matriculation may increase students’ understanding of their chosen professions’ contributions to the health team as well as the role of other professions on the team. METHODS Summer Health Professions Education Program (SHPEP) participants from three institutions engaged in a six-week academic enrichment program, which required an IPE component. Prior to engagement in the IPE curricula, SHPEP participants were asked to complete a pre-survey. A component of the survey included the Student Perceptions of Interprofessional Clinical Education-Revised instrument, version 2 (SPICE-R2). Low pre-mean scores for the SPICE-R2 Roles and Responsibilities factor led to an exploratory research design asking participants to complete the following statement “My role on an interprofessional team is…” upon completion of the SHPEP program. RESULTS Nine topic areas were identified from 163 participant statements: 1) contribute to the team, 2) collaborating with the team; 3) lead the team; 4) patient-focus; 5) population health/public health; 6) listen to others; 7) respect contributions of other team members; 8) learn from others; and 9) refer to others. DISCUSSION Pre-professional health student participant responses were reflective of the U.S. Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) Roles and Responsibilities, Interprofessional Communication and Values and Ethics competencies. CONCLUSION Earlier presentation of IPE concepts allows students to develop a more comprehensive view of interprofessional roles. Results of this study demonstrate accurate learning of the IPEC RR competency and support integrating IPE experiences within academic enrichment programs for pre professional health students.

Senior nursing student's perceptions of an interprofessional simulation-based education (IPSE): A qualitative study

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions and attitudes toward interprofessional simulation-based education among Lebanese senior nursing students. MethodsThe study used an exploratory descriptive qualitative approach and collected data through focus groups. All focus group discussions were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and narratives were compared with the recordings to establish accuracy, credibility and reliability of data. Qualitative narratives were translated to English and analyzed through an inductive thematic content analysis. This study was reported according to the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR). ResultsFour major themes were identified: understanding roles and responsibilities, enhancing collaboration, improve personal and interpersonal skills, and patient outcomes. ConclusionThe senior nursing students showed a positive perception and attitude toward interprofessional simulation-based education. They found that interprofessional simulation-based education increased their knowledge and understanding of the importance of the roles of other professions, as well as their own role in providing patient care. Furthermore, they perceived that interprofessional simulation-based education improved their personal and interpersonal skills. These positive findings may contribute to their future success in an interprofessional team, which could lead to improved patient outcomes. Therefore, future research is needed to see how the reported benefits of interprofessional simulation-based education training are reflected in clinical practice and related to patient outcomes.

A pilot evaluation of simulation-based interprofessional education for occupational therapy, speech pathology and dietetic students: improvements in attitudes and confidence

ABSTRACT Many higher education institutions struggle to provide interprofessional practice opportunities for their pre-licensure students due to demanding workloads, difficulties with timetabling, and problems with sourcing suitable placements that provide appropriate practice opportunities. A series of complex unfolding video-based simulation scenarios involving a patient who had experienced a stroke was utilized as a case study for a three-hour interprofessional practice workshop. 69 occupational therapy (OT), speech pathology (SP) and dietetics (DT) students participated in a mixed-methods study comparing interprofessional attitudes before and after the workshop. Attitudes toward interprofessional practice improved pre- vs. post-workshop and overall. Students were highly satisfied with the workshops contribution toward learning, although OT and SP students were more satisfied than DT students. Focus groups confirmed students liked the format and structure of the workshop, suggested that students better understood the role of other professions and improved role clarification, increased their confidence to practice in interprofessional practice settings, but noted the experience could have been improved with the incorporation of nursing and smaller groups to better facilitate participation. There is widespread support for implementing interprofessional education (IPE) in the health sciences, yet widespread implementation is not yet a reality. This research suggests that a simulation-based, three-hour IPE workshop can have an immediate benefit on confidence and attitudes toward interprofessional practice for allied health students.

“Stat!” Acute Care With OT, Physical Therapy, and Nursing: Interprofessional Simulation With Peer Teaching

Abstract Date Presented 04/04/19 Innovative teaching methods can be used to increase student self-efficacy and preparedness for acute-care clinical situations. We found that combining interprofessional simulation and peer teaching was an effective experiential learning method for improving student understanding of the roles of other professions in an acute-care environment and increasing appreciation of the need for communication, collaboration, and respect for optimal teamwork. Primary Author and Speaker: Veronica Rowe Additional Authors and Speakers: Emily Millard, Chelsea Clarkson

A Peer-Led Interprofessional Simulation Experience Improves Perceptions of Teamwork

BackgroundSimulation-based interprofessional education (IPE) improves teamwork, self-efficacy, and clinical preparedness among health profession students. MethodsA mixed-method design assessed differences in perceptions, knowledge, and skills related to a peer-led, acute care–focused IPE experience for 319 nursing, physical therapy, and occupational therapy students. ResultsAll students demonstrated an improvement in positive perceptions of teamwork and collaborative practice. Qualitative themes derived included the importance of teamwork, communication, and valuing other professions, increased understanding of the roles of other professions, and improved leadership skills. ConclusionsPeer-led simulation-based IPE effectively improved student attitudes, values, and beliefs regarding interprofessional collaboration and increased student understanding of professional roles in an acute-care environment.

Interprofessional service-learning: cutting teeth and learning to crawl

ABSTRACT An interprofessional community-based service-learning initiative, supporting early childhood development in an impoverished community, was launched on a South African university’s rural training platform. The study aimed to determine how this learning experience influenced students’ interprofessional person-centered practice. An interpretative qualitative approach was followed. In-depth focus group discussions with dietetic (n = 15), medical (n = 24) and occupational therapy (n = 6) students were conducted before they left for a rural training site, directly afterward and again six months later. The findings indicated that most students had a limited experience of interprofessional collaborative practice (IPCP) beforehand. Afterward, those demonstrating developmental learning reported increased knowledge about their own roles, a deeper understanding of the roles of other professions and a realization of the importance of IPCP. Different reactions were related to students’ profession, attitude and insight, and other interprofessional experiences during the placement. Contact with service users in the community, additional interprofessional clinical activities and shared living spaces are likely to further enhance students’ competencies in IPCP. A lack of interprofessional role modeling in the academic hospital, where most students returned to, hindered them to continue following an interprofessional, person-centered approach. Longer, synchronized rotations on a decentralized platform may be beneficial to inculcate competencies related to IPCP.

Students' experiences and perceptions of interprofessional education during rural placement: A mixed methods study

BackgroundInterprofessional collaboration is key to addressing the complexity of contemporary health care, therefore it is imperative that students from different disciplines have access to interprofessional education to equip them with the requisite skills and attributes. While interprofessional education promotes a person-centred approach and mutual recognition of one another's contributions to health outcomes, interprofessional education in Australian universities is fragmented and presents challenges that can be addressed through clinical placements. ObjectivesThis article reports student perceptions and readiness for interprofessional education in the rural clinical learning environment in one region of Australia. DesignA mixed methods approach. SettingsRural clinical learning environments in one geographic area in Victoria, Australia. Participants60 undergraduate healthcare students from allied health, medicine, nursing and midwifery. MethodsA survey incorporating Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale, Interdisciplinary Education Perception Scale and focused interprofessional questions. Qualitative data were collected via survey comments, interviews and focus groups. ResultsStudents had numerous opportunities for interprofessional education, to observe role modelling in the workplace and considered that learning with other professions would help them become more effective members of the health care team. Students valued learning about collaborative practice, the roles of other professions and identified activities that enhanced interprofessional engagement. ConclusionsThis study provides important insights regarding students' perceptions and readiness for interprofessional education. These results demonstrate that there are numerous opportunities to embed interprofessional education within the rural clinical learning environment and offer new insights into students' experiences and preferences for potential activities. These findings may resonate with others implementing interprofessional education in the workplace and guide facilitators in planning activities for students. Factors influencing differences in attitudes towards interprofessional education and how students acquire an understanding of their professional or disciplinary role warrant further study.

Supporting Northern Territory Top End allied health graduates and early career staff by means of an interprofessional graduate program.

Objectives For allied health graduate staff, entry into the workforce can be challenging and complex to navigate. Formal, structured graduate programs in the Northern Territory are limited and are typically discipline specific. Discipline-specific graduate programs focus on clinical and specific skill sets. However, there is a need to support graduates and early career staff within a diverse and large health service by developing and encouraging interprofessional practice, as well as reflective and critical thinking skills. This article outlines a pilot inter-professional allied health graduate program trialled in the Northern Territory Top End, including program development, implementation and outcomes. Methods A formative study design using online pre- and post-program surveys for participants and their line managers was adopted. Results There was significant improvement noted in the graduates' confidence levels of understanding other professional roles after the pilot program. Graduates also reported an improved sense of support and reflective skills moving into their subsequent year of professional practice. Managers of graduates reported improved interprofessional practice and collaboration with other health professionals. Conclusions The pilot program provided a sustainable model of learning and development for early career allied health professionals. Supporting the Top End graduate allied health workforce proved to be an important factor in facilitating interprofessional practice from an early stage, as integrated care and interprofessional practice are crucial to patient treatment. What is known about the topic? Research from within Australia and internationally has demonstrated that preparing allied health professionals for interprofessional practice helped facilitate collaboration and partnerships among different professions. This, in turn, improved quality of patient health care outcomes. Interprofessional education has been documented as an effective means of educating clinicians. What does this paper add? This paper describes how interprofessional learning and education in the form of a structured graduate program affected the perceptions of staff and implementation of interprofessional practice in the Northern Territory (NT). The Top End of the NT is unique in that a large number of allied health professionals work within integrated multidisciplinary teams or hold sole positions within regional settings. This is the first graduate program for NT allied health professionals. What are the implications for practitioners? Allied health professionals are an integral part of a health service and fostering interprofessional practice early on can prepare new employees to collaborate and support each other with an understanding of the roles of other professionals.

Discovering interprofessional competencies within a clinical pharmacology curriculum

Abstract Background Medication-related problems are a serious concern for the healthcare system, and many could be prevented with effective communication and teamwork including patients as team members. Purpose In an attempt to strengthen students' medication management skills, we implemented a clinical pharmacology curriculum at one medical school's regional campus and had the opportunity to test the curriculum in two different contexts. Method The course for third year medical students was taught twice: once interprofessionally with nurse practitioner, undergraduate medicine, and pharmacy learners, and once with medical students only. Differences between the two medical student cohorts were assessed both quantitatively and qualitatively. Discussion The clinical pharmacology curriculum significantly increased students' self-reported confidence with medication-related tasks compared to baseline for both cohorts of learners. Compared to the uniprofessional group, the interprofessional cohort of learners also gained a new appreciation for the roles and unique contributions other professions add to patient care. Conclusion Adding clinical pharmacology concepts to the curriculum improved students' comfort with performing medication-related tasks, and the addition of interprofessional partners led to a new awareness and respect for the roles of other professions.