Readiness for interprofessional education among healthcare students in Oman: Results of a cross-sectional survey

ABSTRACT

Interprofessional education (IPE) is a promising educational strategy to strengthen the healthcare system in Oman. This study aimed to evaluate the perception and readiness of nursing and medical students for IPE in Oman. Students enrolled in medical and nursing programs at Sultan Qaboos University were invited to participate in this study by completing the Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS). A total of 390 (180 nursing and 210 medical) students completed the survey. The RIPLS scores of nursing and medical students were high. Medical students had significantly higher scores in the Negative Professional Identity subscale. Gender and GPA correlated with total scores. Medical and nursing students demonstrated positive perceptions and readiness for IPE. Efforts should be directed to facilitate its implementation in the curriculum.

KEYWORDS:

• Interprofessional education
• healthcare
• readiness
• perception

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The study was not funded.

Notes on contributors

Adhari AlZaabi

Adhari A;Zaabi:Adhari is physcican scientist with MD/PhD working working on cancer early detection and prevention, innovation in medical education and artificial intelligence applications in healthcare. She has 10 years experience in constructing and executing integrated medical curriculum with active learning and innovative teaching strategies.

Huda Al-Noumani

Huda Al-Noumani:Dr. Huda Al-Noumani (Ph.D., RN) is an Assistant professor in the Adult Health and Critical Care Department and Dean of College of Nursing at Sultan Qaboos University. Her area of specialization is Critical care and Trauma. Her field of study focuses on chronic diseases particularly Coronary Heart diseases, self-care management, risk reduction, and medication adherence.

Khaled AlOmari

Khaled AlOmari:Dr. Khaled Alomari is currently the Program Dean of the Adult-Gerontology Nurse Practitioner Program at West Coast University. He has over 15 years of experience in higher education. He has served as an academic, administrator, consultant, and researcher. He has international experience in leading graduate studies in countries including USA, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan.