Interprofessional Education as a Component of Nursing Education: an Integrative Literature Review

The Institute of Medicine‘s (IOM) Future of Nursing (2010) report identifies the need for nurses to be educated alongside other healthcare professionals as a means to address unresolved issues around quality and safety in the health care system. The purposes of this integrative review are to examine current research on interprofessional education (IPE) in undergraduate nursing programs in the United States, identify outcomes achieved, and to make recommendations for implementation of future IPE programs. Although endorsed by the IOM and other national organizations, little is known about educational interventions and strategies that promote development of interprofessional collaboration. Three key findings emerged during this review regarding education strategies for successful interprofessional education programs. These include (a) interactive experiential learning enhances IPE, (b) preparation is important for successful IPE, and (c) the benefits of interprofessional education are positive but do not yet demonstrate targeted outcomes. The findings from this integrative literature review support the incorporation of interprofessional education within nursing curriculum utilizing interactive educational methods and strategie