In the health care setting, teamwork and collaboration is essential in promoting patient centered care & the achievement of positive patient outcomes. The Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) recommends interprofessional learning experiences directed at closing the knowledge, skills and attitudes gaps among healthcare pre-licensure students. Experiences aimed at students to work more effectively as health care teams have found significant changes in beliefs and attitudes toward team communication, motivation, utility of training, and self-efficacy (Brock, Abu-Rish, Chiu, et. Al, 2013). To prepare future nurses and physical therapists, interprofessional education must be appropriately threaded across the curriculum to promote future healthy work environments. A pilot research study was implemented to examine changes in Nursing Students’ (NS) teamwork, collaboration and role identity following participation in a collaborative educational activity using patient care scenarios with graduate level Physical Therapy Students (PTS) and undergraduate NS. For the interprofessional exercise, the PTS used the format of a peer assisted learning (PAL) role.The long term aim of this study was to promote a healthy future work environment in teamwork, communication and respect and role appreciation between these future bedside healthcare providers.
Methods
A pre and post assessment of students’ perceptions using the revised Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) examined the effectiveness of this innovative educational initiative in an academic setting.
Results
Of the four sub-scales to the RIPLS, the results demonstrated a significant change in the sub-scale of Teamwork and Collaboration (p= 0.035) and in positive professional identity (p= 0.011 among the participants (n = 60). There was no difference in the two remaining sub-scales of negative professional identity or roles and responsibilities.
Conclusion
This Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved study serves as the foundation for future research studies examining transitions to practice, the professional development of novice nurses and strengthening staffing collaboration for a healthy work environment. An interprofessional collaboration exercise was initiated for two semesters between the undergraduate nursing and graduate physical therapy students. During the educational activity, the students were actively engaged in multiple opportunities to practice collaboration, communication, professional identity and roles and teamwork. The collaborative educational activity positively changed the students’ attitude toward teamwork and collaboration and positive role identity and potentially will promote healthy teamwork, communication and respect and role appreciation between these future beside healthcare providers.