Nurse Practitioner and Medical Students' Perceptions of Teamwork before and after a Standardized Patient Pilot Simulation

Attitudes toward interprofessional education are positive overall, but inferences about its key elements are hard to draw. Studies with qualitative strands examining interprofessional education's key elements (communication, collaboration/teamwork, learning in practice, and understanding of roles) are especially needed. This mixed quantitative/qualitative standardized patient simulation involved 10 family nurse practitioner and 10 medical students. Both cohorts expressed improved teamwork confidence but were concerned about the complexity of teamwork and pressures on communication. At the complexity/communication nexus, nurse practitioner students thought interprofessional trust and equality were key; medical students saw the importance of strategizing multiple professional perspectives.