Study of Student Involvement in Interprofessional Work and Impact on Health Professional Preparedness to Collaborate in the Workspace

Background:
We believe that interprofessional education (IPE) has benefited our clinical practice because our experience taught us a collaborative approach to healthcare. We seek to understand if our experiences align with the broader population. We believe that interprofessional approaches to educating future healthcare leaders and an early emphasis on collaborative education can improve the delivery of services and patient care from future providers through enhanced collaboration with other health professionals. IPE may reduce interprofessional challenges, which hinder professional practice.

Methods:
We will interview recently graduated students from the health professions from graduate and professional programs at the University of New England. The interview will assess student experience in their academic program and the perceived ability to collaborate in the workspace after graduation. Subjects will also be interviewed about their IPE participation to uncover larger themes. This study will employ qualitative analyses.

Current objectives:
Determine post-graduate preparedness and comfort with collaboration in the workplace;
Analyze pedagogical methods of each discipline and the impact of integrated IPE;
Assess if an interprofessional opportunity improves the students’ preparedness to collaborate with professionals outside their discipline.

Results:
As of the date of our abstract submission, this project is currently in progress.

Discussion:
As of the date of our abstract submission, this project is currently in progress.