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Florida Public Health Review

Publication Date

3-1-2023

Abstract

Interprofessional learning activities in higher education aim to unite healthcare professionals in their future practice, thus reducing duplication and fragmentation of services. This study uses a social learning perspective to examine advanced practice medicine, nursing, and social work learners’ attitudes toward interprofessional education and collaborative practice activities within their university programs. The authors used a cross-sectional design to administer a questionnaire that included the Interprofessional Attitudes Scale (IPAS) to 151 advanced practice health care learners (internal medicine residents, nurse practitioner students, master’s-level social work students). Findings indicated significant differences in three subsections of the IPAS. Social work learners possessed a more favorable attitude than their medicine and nursing peers on teamwork, roles, responsibilities, and community-centeredness. Social work and nurse practitioner students indicated higher interprofessional bias issues than medical residents. The participants’ age was also found to be significant in the study. Further exploration will afford a more substantial knowledge base to address the fragmented, siloed, and service duplication that works against a more comprehensive and efficient healthcare system.

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