Comparing interprofessional socialization in mixed-discipline and nursing student-only cohorts

BACKGROUND: A challenge to substantiating the value of interprofessional education (IPE) has been the limited number of studies that assess the effectiveness of IPE interventions compared with education interventions in which professions were learning separately from one another. PURPOSE: The purpose was to compare interprofessional socialization (IS) in mixed-discipline and single-discipline-only student cohorts to determine if mixed-discipline cohorts demonstrate greater improvement in IS compared with single-discipline cohorts. METHODS: Interprofessional socialization was measured using the Interprofessional Socialization and Valuing Scale in 166 university students who completed a semester-long online palliative care course. RESULTS: Statistically significant increases in IS were seen with all participants, both those in discipline-specific as well as mixed-discipline cohorts and in all IS subscales. No difference was observed between a cohort of nursing student-only learners versus a cohort of mixed-discipline students. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrates that IS can be significantly increased whether students participate with single discipline peers or in mixed-discipline settings.