What’s in a Word? Understanding “Interprofessional Collaboration” from the Students’ Perspective

Authors

  • Teresa Broers Queen's University
  • Cheryl Poth University of Alberta
  • Jennifer Medves

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.22230/jripe.2009v1n1a1

Keywords:

Interprofessional collaboration, Healthcare students, Interprofessional education

Abstract

This short research report examines the definition of “interprofessional collaboration” (IPC) held by students from medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, and physical therapy at a Canadian university. Four consistent themes emerged across all student groups: 1) Different professions working together; 2) As a team; 3) Toward a common goal; 4) Using the skills/expertise of other professions. This study also revealed differences among students from the various professions, including hierarchy, respect, and client-centeredness. The authors conclude that interprofessional educational initiatives need to provide opportunities for students to engage with students from other professions about what these differences are and why they occur, to ensure that future collaborations in the healthcare workplace are effective.

Author Biographies

Teresa Broers, Queen's University

Former Project Manager, QUIPPED project, contributed to analysis and interpretation of data, drafting the article, and final approval of the article.

Cheryl Poth, University of Alberta

Assistant Professor, Centre for Research in Applied Measurement and Evaluation (CRANE), Department of Educational Psychology, substantially contributed to conception and design of the study, and acquisition of data. She also contributed to revising the article critically for important intellectual content and final approval of the version to be published.

Jennifer Medves

Associate Professor, School of Nursing, contributed to analysis and interpretation of data, revising the article critically for important intellectual content, and final approval of the version to be published.

Correspondence concerning this report should be addressed to

DR. JENNIFER MEDVES, SCHOOL OF NURSING, 92 Barrie Street, Queen’s University, Kingston,
ON K7L 3N6. Email: jennifer.medves@queensu.ca.

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Published

2009-11-24

Issue

Vol. 1 No. 1 (2009)

Section

Articles: Empirical Research

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