Interprofessional learning on a stroke unit

Background: The importance of a collaborative approach to patient care in improving safety and outcomes has been highlighted by medical regulatory organisations. The World Health Organization has advocated that future health care professionals should be 'collaborative practice ready', and there is a global drive to incorporate interprofessional learning into health education. Interprofessional learning promotes the development of effective teamworking skills and improves the understanding of roles in the multidisciplinary team. This article outlines the development of a practice-based interprofessional learning initiative on a stroke unit. Methods: A half-day seminar was developed by King's College London in conjunction with an interprofessional clinical team from the Stroke Unit at St Thomas' Hospital. Students were assigned discipline-specific supervisors who allocated them to care for a patient within the confines of their usual professional role. They were asked to present the patient to a mixed-discipline group of students within the seminar from the perspective of their individual disciplines. This was followed by supervisor-led group discussions concerning the care of the patient and interprofessional working. Results: Sixty-seven students from different disciplines participated in nine seminars over a 2-year period. Thematic analysis of participants' comments revealed an improvement in the students' awareness of: the varying roles and responsibilities of professionals; how differing disciplines share functions; and the importance of effective communication. All students stated that they would recommend the seminar to other students. Discussion: Effective interprofessional learning programmes are imperative to promote collaborative practice amongst health care professionals. Stroke units are ideal learning environments for practice-based interprofessional education.