Interprofessional education: a survey of students' collaborative competency outcomes

Abstract

This study examines students' collaborative competencies after participating in an interprofessional education (IPE) course offered to undergraduates in nursing, medicine, and pharmacy. Team Strategies and Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPS) was foundational to the course. The Interprofessional Collaborative Competency Attainment Survey was administered to 33 students who had successfully completed the interprofessional education course; 17 students completed the survey, for a response rate of 52%. The students' collaborative competencies in the core areas of communication, collaboration, roles and responsibilities, collaborative patient- and family-centered approach, conflict management and resolution, and team functioning significantly improved (n = 17, p < 0.001) after course completion, compared with their collaborative competencies before the course. The findings suggest that students' perceptions of their development of interprofessional and collaborative competencies significantly improved after course completion. This may influence their professional practice at the point of care and enhance patient safety.