Snapshots of interprofessional education to enhance clinical team work and self-efficacy.

Abstract

Complex care needs of patients in health services means that multi-disciplinary treatments are required. To work productively as a team member in this environment requires education and training. Inter-professional Education (IPE) research shows that health practitioners who are educated and trained to work together promote patient safety (ACQSHC, 2005; Morrissey et al, 2010). However, the literature and observation from practice shows that training is either absent or ad hoc. Thus, practitioners are not adequately prepared for the differences world-views and in practices that may occur as a result of diverse discipline-based theories and skills. Tensions inevitably arise and the very basis for multidisciplinary teams – to embrace diverse views - is undermined because clinicians feel threatened and unhappy. Across the world there are many innovative educators who have embraced the challenge of developing IPE and from which we all can learn. This paper provides snapshots of practice from five countries. We discuss situations in need of improvement, educational interventions and evaluation data illustrating positive outcomes. Expected outcomes of the presentation are that educators are inspired to draw on and adapt these ideas so that inter-professional learning in health is integrated into curricula and utilised to improve patient safety and clinicians’ self-efficacy.