Abstract

Interprofessional education (IPE) is a well-supported concept in medical education and a priority for leadership. How students experience IPE is unclear. This pilot study evaluated how medical and nursing students perceived and experienced IPE. Ten medical and 10 nursing students participated in a clinical simulation-based IPE exercise with 2 medical and 2 nursing students per group. Participants completed the KidSIM ATTITUDES questionnaire before and after the exercise. Students gave verbal feedback during the post-exercise debrief. Statistical analyses showed perceptions of the group became more positive with the exercise. With statistical significance across all the domains (relevance of IPE and simulation, communication, situation awareness, and roles/responsibilities), verbal comments were positive. A single clinical simulation-based IPE exercise improved perceptions of IPE among these students. These results provide further impetus to continue to study IPE for medical and nursing students. The findings also support the inclusion of IPE in medical education.