title: An introductory interprofessional exercise for healthcare students.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate healthcare students' perceptions of an introductory interprofessional exercise and their team dynamics.
  
  
  METHODS
  A workshop was developed, combining second-year medical students, fourth-year nursing students, and third-year pharmacy students to work as an interdisciplinary team. The teams alternated between working together on patient cases focusing on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma, and on the evaluation of standardized pneumonia patients. Teams were given the patients' health information and no other instructions. A faculty member and the standardized patient evaluated the students using a teamwork global rating scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Student survey results showed a positive response to interprofessional teamwork. The faculty members and standardized patients reported that the students worked as a cohesive unit and demonstrated good team communication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This introductory interprofessional experience had a positive impact on the students' understanding of collaboration and teamwork. This type of experience will help students foster future collaborations as healthcare providers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy Practice, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, USA. cmac@uri.edu
authors.forename: Celia P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: MacDonnell
authors.forename: Saumitra V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Rege
authors.forename: Kara
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Misto
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dollase
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: George
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000628:therapy; D003142:Communication; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003625:Data Collection; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration; D004506:Education, Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration; D004512:Education, Pharmacy / Q000458:organization & administration; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008297:Male; D010348:Patient Care Team / Q000458:organization & administration*; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000628:therapy; D013337:Students, Medical; D013338:Students, Nursing; D013339:Students, Pharmacy; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: collaboration; communication; interprofessional; team; workshop healthcare students