Impact of Interprofessional education on Interprofessional attitudes of nursing and medical students: a quasi-experimental study

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of interprofessional education (IPE) on nursing and medical students’ attitudes toward IPE and assess their opinions on this education. Methods: This study used a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design and was conducted with 30 fourth-year nursing students and 34 medical students. Data were collected using a questionnaire comprising sociodemographic and educational characteristics, as well as the Interprofessional Attitude Scale (IPAS). Data were analyzed using the Mann–Whitney U-test and the Wilcoxon test. Results: There was a significant increase in total and subscale scores of participants’ IPAS scores. In addition, there was no significant difference between the total IPAS and all subscale scores of the nursing and medical students, except for the Diversity and Ethics subscale scores. While 77% of the participants found the IPE program very useful and efficient, 11% of the participants reported that the IPE program was useful, but some stages could be improved. Conclusion: The IPE program enhanced participants’ IPE attitudes, and participants were satisfied with the IPE program. Future studies should consider a longitudinal design with a more diverse population to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of IPE.