Zahra Keshtkaran1, Farkhondeh Sharif2, Masoume Rambod3. 1. Student Research Committee, Department of Community Health Nursing, Shiraz University of Medical Science, Shiraz, Iran. Electronic address: Zahra_keshtkaran@yahoo.com. 2. Community Based Psychiatric Care Research Center, Department of Mental Health and Psychiatric Nursing, Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Shiraz University of Medical Science, Shiraz, Iran. Electronic address: fsharif@sums.ac.ir. 3. Community Based Psychiatric Care Research Center, Department of Medical Surgical, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Shiraz University of Medical Science, Shiraz, Iran; Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Science, Shiraz, Iran. Electronic address: rambodma@yahoo.com.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Inter-professional education is a critical pedagogical approach aiming at preparing healthcare students for providing patient care in a collaborative team atmosphere. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the readiness for and perception of inter-professional learning and their relationship among healthcare students. DESIGN: It was a correlational, cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred and fifty undergraduate medical, B.Sc. nursing, and B.Sc. science in surgical technology students participated in this study. SETTING AND SAMPLES: The samples were selected from the colleges affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences using stratified random sampling. METHODS: The Readiness for Inter-Professional Learning Scale (RIPLS) and Interdisciplinary Education Perception Scale (IEPS) were used to measure the readiness for and perception of inter-professional leaning. The data were analyzed using One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and independent sample T-test. RESULTS: The total mean scores of readiness for and perception of inter-professional learning were 82.40 (SD=23.16) and 74.04 (SD=14.26), respectively. Besides, the medical students' total mean score of readiness was significantly lower than that of the nursing and science in surgical technology students (F=76.73, P<0.0001). The results showed a significant difference between the current years of study regarding RIPLS and IEPS (P<0.0001). Also, a significant difference was demonstrated among the three fields concerning IEPS and its four subscales. Moreover, the total score of RIPLS was associated with that of IEPS (r=0.43, P<0.0001). CONCLUSION: This study indicated that the medical students had the lowest RIPLS. In addition, the nursing students reported the lowest IEPS; therefore, this group's curriculum is suggested to be revised. For evidence based practice, other studies are recommended to improve inter-professional learning.
BACKGROUND: Inter-professional education is a critical pedagogical approach aiming at preparing healthcare students for providing patient care in a collaborative team atmosphere. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the readiness for and perception of inter-professional learning and their relationship among healthcare students. DESIGN: It was a correlational, cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred and fifty undergraduate medical, B.Sc. nursing, and B.Sc. science in surgical technology students participated in this study. SETTING AND SAMPLES: The samples were selected from the colleges affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences using stratified random sampling. METHODS: The Readiness for Inter-Professional Learning Scale (RIPLS) and Interdisciplinary Education Perception Scale (IEPS) were used to measure the readiness for and perception of inter-professional leaning. The data were analyzed using One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and independent sample T-test. RESULTS: The total mean scores of readiness for and perception of inter-professional learning were 82.40 (SD=23.16) and 74.04 (SD=14.26), respectively. Besides, the medical students' total mean score of readiness was significantly lower than that of the nursing and science in surgical technology students (F=76.73, P<0.0001). The results showed a significant difference between the current years of study regarding RIPLS and IEPS (P<0.0001). Also, a significant difference was demonstrated among the three fields concerning IEPS and its four subscales. Moreover, the total score of RIPLS was associated with that of IEPS (r=0.43, P<0.0001). CONCLUSION: This study indicated that the medical students had the lowest RIPLS. In addition, the nursing students reported the lowest IEPS; therefore, this group's curriculum is suggested to be revised. For evidence based practice, other studies are recommended to improve inter-professional learning.