Examining the effects of interprofessional problem-based clinical ethics: Findings from a mixed methods study

ABSTRACT

Understanding how interprofessional education (IPE) works in learning clinical ethics via problem-based learning (PBL) and how different professions’ perspectives influence each other in this setting may inform future IPE. Eighty-nine students participated in a clinical ethics PBL and were assigned into three study groups, i.e., medical, nursing, and interprofessional groups. This study applied an explanatory sequential mixed methods design. The quantitative phase involved observation of the learning process in PBL tutorial with checklists to code students’ performance of learning behaviour, ethics discussion skills, learning content explored, and analysis through comparison of accumulative percentage of the coded performance between groups. Content analysis of post-PBL homework self-reflections from interprofessional group was conducted as the following explanatory qualitative phase. Quantitative results indicated that nursing students performed favourably on course engagement, caring, and communication while medical students performed positively on issue identification and the life science aspect. Interprofessional group showed the strength of the both professions and performed best through the learning process. Content analysis revealed that students in the interprofessional group achieved interprofessional learning from recognizing the differences between to appreciating learning from each other and to sense the need of future collaboration. With early exposure to IPE, undergraduate students may learn to balance their socialized viewpoints by seeing ethical dilemmas from each other’s standpoint.

KEYWORDS:

• Clinical ethics
• content analysis
• interprofessional education
• mixed methods
• problem-based learning
• professional socialisation

Acknowledgements

We are thankful to our students who participated in this study and the skillful assistance of Ms. Z-Y Chen in helping with data organisation. Special thanks are directed to three observers: Ms. Y-Y Lai, S-H Tsai, and Y-J Jiang.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.

Funding

Funding of this research work is supported by the National Science Council, Taiwan, by grant number [NSC 101-2511-S-039-001].

Additional information

Funding

Funding of this research work is supported by the National Science Council, Taiwan, by grant number [NSC 101-2511-S-039-001].