Working Culture of An Interprofessional Collaborative Care Model That Focuses on Military Families: Students’ Perspectives

Innovative and collaborative practice models are surfacing across the country to strengthen interprofessional learning in an effort to improve quality patient outcomes, improve efficiency, and increase job satisfaction with health professionals. This study discusses student’s perspectives of participation in a unique interprofessional practice model that embodies psychosocial health of military families. The Collaborative Institute for Interprofessional Education and Practice (CI-PEP) was established at a university in southeastern North Carolina, and is staffed by faculty members, community members and healthcare students.

Students completed a pre and post survey using the Mayo High Performance Teamwork Scale (MHPTS) which posed questions about team leadership, understanding of roles, openness to asking for help, collaboration, decision sharing, and patient care through collaborative approaches. Survey findings concluded that team building interventions helped the team focus on client centeredness, respect for differences and elucidated the importance of early interprofessional role socialization for collaborative practice to be successful.