Abstract
Introduction: Effective interprofessional teamwork is essential for collaborative, patient-centered care, yet health science students often lack structured opportunities for shared learning. Incorporating intentional and continuous interprofessional education (IPE) throughout the curriculum is critical for building the communication and collaboration skills needed for team-based clinical practice.
Background: Although the value of IPE is well established, health science students are rarely trained together before entering practice. Barriers such as rigid curricula, limited resources, inconsistent leadership support, and institutional resistance hinder implementation. These gaps contribute to communication failures, workflow inefficiencies, and compromised patient safety. Embedding IPE into cross-disciplinary curricula can provide authentic teamwork experiences that better prepare students for collaborative practice.
Objective: Team-Based Learning (TBL) aligns with IPE by promoting active learning, communication, and shared decision-making through phases of individual preparation, team readiness assurance, and group application activities. This study aimed to (a) evaluate the feasibility of implementing TBL to teach IPE competencies and (b) assess its impact on students’ perceptions of interprofessional collaboration and teamwork.
Methods: An IRB-approved convergent mixed-methods design was used with a convenience sample of health science students enrolled in an interprofessional course at a southeastern university. Students completed the Student Perceptions of Interprofessional Clinical Education–Revised 2 (SPICE-R2) instrument before and after the TBL intervention to measure changes in perceptions of teamwork, roles/responsibilities, and patient outcomes.
Results: Although not statistically significant, mean scores improved in two SPICE-R2 domains. Roles/responsibilities increased for Cohort 1 from M = 11.11 to 12.59 and for Cohort 2 from M = 11.50 to 12.82. Patient outcomes improved for Cohort 1 from M = 12.70 to 13.15 and for Cohort 2 from M = 12.90 to 13.23.
Conclusion: High-quality, safe patient care depends on effective interprofessional teamwork. This study suggests that TBL is a feasible and beneficial approach to strengthening students’ readiness for collaborative practice. Future research should explore long-term strategies to sustain these gains and further integrate team-based competencies across health sciences curricula.
Notes
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References:
Ahmady, S., Mirmoghtadaie, A. & Rasouli, D. (2020). Challenges to implementation of nterprofessional education in health profession education in Iran. Advanced Medical Education Practice, 23, 227-236. https://doi.org/10.2147/AMEP.S236645
Burgess, A., Kalman, E., Haq, I., Leaver, A., Roberts, C., & Bleasel, J. (2020). Interprofessional team-based learning (TBL): How do students engage. BMC Medical Education, 20(118). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-020-02024-5.
Cruz, E. B., Sweetko, J., & Singh,
Salari, S., Klapman, S., Fry, B., & Hamel, S. (2017). Interprofessional education: In silo, ineffective. Medical Science Educator, 27831-833.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s40670-017-0471-8
Shakham, L. M., Omari, O., Aulappan, J., & Wynaden, D. (2020). Interprofessional education and collaboration: Strategies for implementation. Oman Medical Journal, 35(4), e160. https://doi.org/10.5001/omj.2020.83
Zajac, S., Woods, A., Tannenbaum, S., Salas, E., & Holladay, C. (2021). Overcoming challenges to teamwork in healthcare: A team effectiveness framework and evidence-based guidance. Frontiers in Communication, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2021.606445
Sigma Membership
Zeta Gamma
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Mixed/Multi Method Research
Keywords:
Interprofessional and Interdisciplinary, Interprofessional Initiatives, Teaching and Learning Strategies, Interdisciplinary Education, Nursing Students, Learning Strategies, Student Attitudes, Team Learning Approach in Education, Collaborative Learning
Recommended Citation
Copeland-Streeter, Donna, "The Effects of Team-Based Learning on Students’ Perceptions of Interprofessional Collaboration" (2026). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 308.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2026/presentations_2026/308
Conference Name
37th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Conference Year
2026
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-09-25
The Effects of Team-Based Learning on Students’ Perceptions of Interprofessional Collaboration
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Introduction: Effective interprofessional teamwork is essential for collaborative, patient-centered care, yet health science students often lack structured opportunities for shared learning. Incorporating intentional and continuous interprofessional education (IPE) throughout the curriculum is critical for building the communication and collaboration skills needed for team-based clinical practice.
Background: Although the value of IPE is well established, health science students are rarely trained together before entering practice. Barriers such as rigid curricula, limited resources, inconsistent leadership support, and institutional resistance hinder implementation. These gaps contribute to communication failures, workflow inefficiencies, and compromised patient safety. Embedding IPE into cross-disciplinary curricula can provide authentic teamwork experiences that better prepare students for collaborative practice.
Objective: Team-Based Learning (TBL) aligns with IPE by promoting active learning, communication, and shared decision-making through phases of individual preparation, team readiness assurance, and group application activities. This study aimed to (a) evaluate the feasibility of implementing TBL to teach IPE competencies and (b) assess its impact on students’ perceptions of interprofessional collaboration and teamwork.
Methods: An IRB-approved convergent mixed-methods design was used with a convenience sample of health science students enrolled in an interprofessional course at a southeastern university. Students completed the Student Perceptions of Interprofessional Clinical Education–Revised 2 (SPICE-R2) instrument before and after the TBL intervention to measure changes in perceptions of teamwork, roles/responsibilities, and patient outcomes.
Results: Although not statistically significant, mean scores improved in two SPICE-R2 domains. Roles/responsibilities increased for Cohort 1 from M = 11.11 to 12.59 and for Cohort 2 from M = 11.50 to 12.82. Patient outcomes improved for Cohort 1 from M = 12.70 to 13.15 and for Cohort 2 from M = 12.90 to 13.23.
Conclusion: High-quality, safe patient care depends on effective interprofessional teamwork. This study suggests that TBL is a feasible and beneficial approach to strengthening students’ readiness for collaborative practice. Future research should explore long-term strategies to sustain these gains and further integrate team-based competencies across health sciences curricula.
Description
This study evaluated Team-Based Learning as a method to teach interprofessional competencies to health science students. Findings show that TBL is a feasible approach that enhances students’ perceptions of teamwork, roles, and patient outcomes, even though improvements were not statistically significant.