A clinical nursing rotation transforms medical students’ interprofessional attitudes

Abstract

This study explores the extent to which a one-week nursing rotation for medical students changed the interprofessional attitudes of the participating nurses and students. Third-year medical students worked with nurses before starting clinical rotations. Pre- and post-experience surveys assessing perceptions of mutual respect, nurse-doctor roles, and interprofessional communication and teamwork were given to 55 nurses and 57 students. The surveys consisted of qualitative questions and a Likert scale questionnaire that was analyzed using qualitative and quantitative content analyses. The response rate was 51/57 (89%) students and 44/55 (80%) nurse preceptors. Nurses reported that students met nurses’ expectations by displaying responsibility, respect, effective communication, and an understanding of nursing roles. Medical students’ narratives demonstrated two significant changes. First, their views of nurses changed from that of physician helpers to that of collaborative patient-centred professionals. Second, they began defining nursing not by its tasks, but as a caring- and communication-centred profession. Responses to Likert-scaled questions showed significant differences corresponding to changes described in the narrative. A one-week immersive clinical nursing rotation for medical students was a transformative way of learning interprofessional competencies. Learning in an authentic workplace during a clinical rotation engendered mutual respect between nurses and future doctors. Students’ view of the role of nurses changed from nurses working for doctors with patients, to working with doctors for patients.

A systematic review of respect between acute care nurses and physicians

“…We could infer a definition in the majority of the remaining papers ( n = 13) based on the way they assessed respect. For instance, in the reviewed qualitative work, judgments about one’s worth and value were often coded as evidence of respect (e.g., Aase et al, 2014; Baggs & Schmitt, 1997; Butterworth et al, 2018; Weller et al, 2011). Similarly, quantitative work used survey scales that included items capturing judgments about one’s value and worth and whether a person’s input should be considered (e.g., “the extent to which team members feel valued and appreciated for their role on the team”; Singer et al, 2016, p. 569).…”

Nursing Students’ Perceptions of Menstrual Distress during Clinical Practice: A Q-Methodology Study

“…The nursing students associated with Factor II emphasized responsible attitudes. Responsibility is part of the nursing profession [ 24 ] and central to nurses’ professional attitudes because studies have shown a positive association between professional responsibility and patient care quality [ 10 ]. In this group, 61.9% experienced increased menstrual distress during clinical practice, but they had the lowest menstrual leave rates.…”

Nurse’s Role from Medical Students’ Perspective during Their Interprofessional Clinical Practice: Evidence from Lithuania

“…An authentic context has a significant impact on the ways students perceive their learning experiences. Nevertheless, there are various challenges for sustainable implementation of IPE, including (a) non-coordinated and strictly separate curricula of different health care professions, (b) an insufficient number of specifically qualified teaching staff, and (c) limited financial resources of the institutions [8,13,19,20].…”

“…In the IPE of medical students with nurses during their clinical practice, the goal is for the students to learn and perform the functions of a nurse; consequently, it is important to clarify their understanding of the nurse's role [7]. For medical students, performing Healthcare 2021, 9, 963 2 of 11 the functions of nurses during interprofessional practice is a transformative way to learn interprofessional competencies [8].…”