Health Care Clinical Preceptors’ Attitudes Towards Interprofessional Education in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Ziyad F Al Nufaiei,1– 3 Amr A Bukhari,1– 3 Nawaf A Abalkhail,1– 3 Raif M Melebari,1– 3 Reem Alluhibi,1– 3 Raid M Al Zhranei,1– 3 Fahad Allhadian,1– 3 Faisal A Turkestani,1– 3 Maher Alsulami,2– 4 Khalid M Alshamrani,2,3,5 Emad I Abdelrahman,6 Genevieve P Zipp7 1Department of Respiratory Therapy, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia; 2King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia; 3Ministry of the National Guard - Health Affairs, Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia; 4Department of Emergency Medical Services, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia; 5Department of Radiological Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia; 6Internal Medicine Department, Albayt Medical General Center, Mecca City, Saudi Arabia; 7Department of Interprofessional Health Sciences & Health Administration, School of Health and Medical Sciences, Seton Hall University, Nutley, NJ, USACorrespondence: Ziyad F Al Nufaiei, RRT-NPS, CPFT Department of Respiratory Therapy, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Jeddah City, Saudi Arabia, Email [email protected]: IPE fosters a dynamic learning environment that may promote students’ knowledge, abilities, and collaborative approach towards addressing challenging clinical circumstances. While much has been reported in the literature regarding these diverse IPE learning environments, limited information exists regarding clinical preceptors’ attitude and perceptions of IPE, especially in Saudi Arabia. Given the impact clinical preceptors have on the formation of healthcare students exploring their perceptions, which may impact their actions is imperative.Methodology: The study focused on understanding the attitudes and perceptions of clinical preceptors towards IPE in a healthcare setting in Saudi Arabia. The study was conducted in Saudi Arabia. Data was collected via Email letter of solicitation (LOS) which included a link to the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) survey. The LOS was sent to all the health care programs in Saudi Arabia.Results: The study surveyed 182 clinical preceptors. The findings revealed consistent favorable opinions towards “Teamwork and Collaboration”. The majority of preceptors concurred that learning alongside other students would increase students’ efficiency on healthcare teams and deepen their comprehension of clinical issues. The “Roles and Responsibilities” category, however, obtained lower ranks in general from the preceptors. Not surprising, differences in rankings were greatest between preceptors who had and did not have IPE exposure, there were significant variations in views toward “Teamwork and Collaboration”, “Negative Professional Identity”, and “Roles and Responsibilities”. Preceptors exposed to IPE showed lower median ratings for “Negative Professional Identity” and “Roles and Responsibilities” and better median scores for “Teamwork and Collaboration”.Conclusion: The attitudes and perceptions of preceptors who had experienced IPE were more favorable toward IPE and thus may foster it more effectively in the students they work with. Therefore, ensuring that all preceptors are aware of and have experience with IPE is important as we seek to promote person-centered care.Keywords: interprofessional education, roles and responsibilities, interprofessional communication, teamwork, clinical preceptors, collaboration

Keywords

• interprofessional education
• roles and responsibilities
• interprofessional communication
• teamwork
• clinical preceptors
• collaboration