Simulation-based Interprofessional Education on Neonatal Emergencies at Pre-service Level: Acceptance and Attitude of Students

Interprofessional education (IPE) in neonatology is widely used at in-service level, but relatively nonexistent at pre-service level in India. This study assessed the attitude and acceptance of undergraduate healthcare students towards IPE in learning the management of neonatal emergencies using a mixed-methods approach. A total of 62 students were allocated to an interprofessional group (IG, 32; 15 nursing,17 medical) and a uniprofessional group (UG, 30 nursing). Both groups received simulation-based training sessions. Attitude of the students towards IPE was assessed using the Interprofessional Attitude Scale at baseline, immediately after, and at 3 weeks post intervention. Selected participants from the IG were interviewed regarding the experience of the IPE. The attitude scores of the participants towards teamwork roles and responsibilities [38.4 (1.08) vs. 39.5 (1.43) vs. 41.4 (0.68), P = .001], and patient-centeredness [21.8 (0.67) vs. 22.6 (0.76) vs. 23.6 (0.44), P = .03)]increased significantly in the IG group post-intervention. A significant improvement was also seen in the total attitude scores at posttest-1 (119(8.22) vs. 11210.12) and posttest-2 (121.58.12 vs. 110.78.08, P = .0001). Students expressed a favorable account of the learning experience. Students reported improvement in attitude towards IPE after participation in a simulation-based interprofessional learning session suggesting the acceptance of IPE among medical and nursing students in India.