Interprofessional Learning for Enhanced Patient Safety: Biomedical Engineering Students and Nursing Students in Joint Learning Activities

Abstract

Background: In the last decade, research has highlighted the importance of interprofessional approaches to education and practice. Collaboration between medical practice and engineering has been identified as particularly relevant to developing accountable models for sustainable healthcare and overcoming increased specialization leading to professional barriers. This study aims to analyze insights and understanding expressed by nursing students and biomedical engineering students following a joint learning activity regarding a medical device used in the hospital setting.Method: A qualitative approach deriving from a phenomenological view examined an interprofessional learning activity where the focus was on active integration and knowledge exchange.Conclusion: The activity was expressed as a positive opportunity for getting insights into perspectives from other professional groups as well as insights into the importance of a system perspective in patient safety. The learning and insights listed in the evaluations included ideas about how the two professional groups could collaborate in the future.

Talking the talk in junior interprofessional education: Is healthcare terminology a barrier or facilitator?

“…This suggests that the use of exclusive language is commonplace in the clinical setting, and can be passed colleague to colleague. In this study and others [35,36], students commented that exclusive terminology was worth learning through IPE workshops, because whether or not the terminology is appropriate, they are required to understand it in the workplace as it is used by others. They appreciated the opportunity to have discussions surrounding the usage and underlying meaning of exclusive terms.…”

The significance of interprofessional collaboration in enhancing patient safety within healthcare

“…Together, healthcare personnel may achieve a shared knowledge of the significance of patient safety and cooperate toward a common objective of providing safe and efficient treatment. (6) A key component of providing healthcare is interprofessional teamwork, especially when it comes to improving patient safety.…”

An Innovative Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Research Course

“…Collaboration among multiple disciplines is essential in research as it is difficult for any individual discipline to have the expertise or research ability to address these complex problems 1,3 . Moreover, the collaboration between disciplines has been identified as a key element to decrease disciplinary specialization, which results in professional barriers, profession-specific jargon, and “siloed” approaches to solving problems 1,4,5 . Interdisciplinary research advances scientific discovery by allowing the perspectives and ideas of different disciplines to work synergistically to solve complex multifaceted healthcare problems 6 …”

“…1,3 Moreover, the collaboration between disciplines has been identified as a key element to decrease disciplinary specialization, which results in professional barriers, profession-specific jargon, and "siloed" approaches to solving problems. 1,4,5 Interdisciplinary research advances scientific discovery by allowing the perspectives and ideas of different disciplines to work synergistically to solve complex multifaceted healthcare problems. 6 Undergraduate students are encouraged to learn about and participate in research, and ample opportunities exist at many universities 7 taught by faculty who specialize in single areas of expertise.…”