The Concept of Interprofessional Collaboration in Baccalaureate Nursing Education Programs: A Descriptive Survey

Abstract

In response to multiple social and political forces towards interprofessional collaboration in health care delivery, professional educators and others have espoused the need for educational programs which prepare future health practitioners for team practice. A descriptive survey was conducted of National League for Nursing accredited baccalaureate programs during 1975 and 1976 to identify the current status of interprofessional learning for baccalaureate nursing students, to describe specific characteristics of these programs, and to identify the factors perceived as promoting and/or inhibiting interprofessional learning opportunities by nurse educators in programs providing such experiences and in programs not currently offering such opportunities. The study was designed as a cross-sectional survey using parallel samples of nurse educators in schools with interprofessional learning and without interprofessional learning. Two mailed questionnaires were utilized to collect data describing interprofessional learning opportunities as well as perceptions of nurse educators relating to the promoting or inhibiting effects of administration, faculty, curriculum, students and resource factors on interprofessional learning opportunities.