Supporting interprofessional learning in practice - an evaluation of a pilot project.

Abstract

This paper reports on the effectiveness of the learning and teaching approaches incorporated into a small scale interprofessional education pilot project, as evaluated by the participating students. The pilot brought together second-year nursing students and third-year medical students, for a period of four weeks of clinical practice, taught classroom sessions, self-directed study and facilitated reflective sessions. 
 
 The findings suggest that interprofessional learning in practice for undergraduate students on health care programmes is a highly valued experience, however, it requires extensive facilitation and structuring. Students involved in this pilot reported that they better understood the roles and remit of other healthcare professionals, including strengths and challenges that are present. The variety of learning and teaching approaches were evaluated positively although these elicited different views from student respondents. 
 
 Students highlighted the importance of structuring, focusing and facilitating such experiences to maximise the true interprofessional learning opportunities. Recommendations are made around the need for focussed and facilitated interprofessional learning opportunities in practice and the need for the incorporation of a variety of learning and teaching approaches. Although it is not within the scope of this article, these recommendations highlight the need for good interprofessional facilitation skills.