Students' experiences of interprofessional education in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Free State

[摘要] English: Background and AimInterprofessional education (IPE) is widely seen as an important part of any healthcare educational module in order to prepare students for collaborative practice after qualification. Collaborative practice is increasingly seen as important in fragmented healthcare systems typical of developing countries such as South Africa. In a population as diverse as that of South Africa, where 11 official languages exist, good communication and teamwork are paramount to the quality of patient care as well as to patient safety. In an educational setting where healthcare training is profession-specific with few opportunities for interaction between professions, an IPE module allows students to develop the skills necessary for collaborative practice. The aim of this study was to describe the students' experience of the newly implemented IPE module at the University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa.MethodThis descriptive, qualitative inquiry made use of focus groups to gain insight into the students' experiences of the newly implemented IPE module. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 22 students from various races, genders and language groups within the Faculty of Health Sciences and included medical, occupational therapy, nursing, physiotherapy, optometry and biokinetics students. Five focus groups were held. Focus groups were recorded, transcribed verbatim, checked and coded to identify emerging themes.FindingsFour themes emerged from the data, namely learning about, educational aspects, organisation of the IPE module and other benefits.ConclusionThe IPE module enhanced knowledge on the scope of profession and leadership. Student assessment, the use of a scenario-based simulation and logistical aspects still need attention, but even so the students experienced the IPE module very positively and found it valuable. Students reported some development of aspects related to collaborative practice, such as clinical communication skills, but identified that implementation of collaborative practice in clinical placements was limited.

[发布机构] University of the Free State