A previous survey distributed to medical school deans in the Western Pacific Region (WPR) showed positive attitudes toward collaborative practice and interprofessional education (IPE).
Makino et al.’s recent survey built on this, aiming to clarify the present state of IPE and the attitudes of nursing school deans in the WPR. The modified Attitudes Toward Health Care Teams Scale (ATHCTS) and the modified Readiness of health care students for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) were used.
Unexpectedly, the response rate was less than 20%. Deans of nursing schools with IPE courses showed significantly more positive attitudes than those of schools without IPE courses. The mean score of the modified ATHCTS and RIPLS of deans of nursing schools in rural areas were significantly higher than those in urban areas.
Compared with medical schools, nursing schools in the WPR pay less attention to IPE and this may be one of the present characteristics of the region.
For more: http://informahealthcare.com/doi/abs/10.3109/13561820.2015.1027337