The outcomes of interprofessional education in prelicensure nursing education: An integrative review.

Abstract

<h4>Objectives</h4>Nurses are at the center of patient care, serving as the link between patients and their various healthcare providers. As healthcare complexity grows it is increasingly important for research focused on nursing education. This review synthesizes research on the impact of interprofessional education for prelicensure nursing students with the intent to guide curriculum development.<h4>Methods</h4>The databases Medline (PubMed), Cochrane Library, CINAHL and EBSCO Qualitative were searched for full text articles in the English language published between January 2016 and July 2021 using MeSH terms "interprofessional education" and "healthcare students" and "multiprofessional" and "impact" and "effectiveness" or "collaborative nursing practice" or "nursing students" or "interprofessional curriculum" or "interdisciplinary education" or "collaboration." A systematic review resulted in 11 selected studies for detailed evaluation.<h4>Results</h4>After evaluation, the following three themes were identified: 1) IPE impact should not only be measured through learners' perceptions; 2) Modifiable and nonmodifiable factors are associated with IPE effectiveness; and 3) Various instruments and methods can be used for measuring outcomes.<h4>Conclusion</h4>This review contributes to future development of IPE in prelicensure registered nursing curricula. Educators should incorporate performance changes into evaluation, be aware of both modifiable and non-modifiable factors to increase effectiveness and use appropriate validated instruments to measure desired outcomes. Although literature results regarding IPE are encouraging, more research is needed to identify evidence-based approaches with best practice methods for instruction, content delivery, evaluation, and competency assessment.