Background: Simulation-based training in emergencies is beneficial for all professionals who work in obstetrics. However, managing obstetric emergencies requires both technical and non-technical skills such as teamwork. Interprofessional education (IPE) offers an effective strategy for learning competencies in collaboration and teamwork. The Advances in Labour and Risk Management (ALARM) course offers a platform for simulated training in obstetric emergencies and has been offered for learners in maternity care at our university for the past five years. Objective: The aim of the project was to explore the impact of interprofessional learning during the ALARM course on the attitudes and perceptions of learners in maternity care. Methods: A two-part questionnaire was administered to midwifery students and to family medicine and obstetric residents before and after the ALARM course. The questionnaire incorporated the Interdisciplinary Educational Perception Scale (IEPS) and open-ended qualitative responses. Results: Despite openness to and awareness of the importance of collaboration for patient care demonstrated in the qualitative analysis, there was a statistically significant difference between learners’ pre- and post-ALARM IEPS scores, indicating more negative perceptions of IPE following the intervention. Conclusion: Learners in maternity care are aware of the need for collaboration in practice. More explicit attention to teamwork and collaboration as a component of the ALARM course would promote development of both technical skills and nontechnical collaborative competencies. This article has been peer reviewed.
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