COVID-19 adversely affected nurse education worldwide, impeding face-to-face delivery and driving education to virtual platforms. For interprofessional education (IPE), where students or health professionals from different professions learn with, from, and about each other (Centre for the Advancement of Interprofessional Education, 2017), the complexity increased, with large student numbers from multiple cohorts and different specialties.
The pandemic changed everyday interprofessional interactions in practice (Goldman and Xyrichis, 2020), and research confirms that when professionals interact it is advantageous to work and learn together effectively, understanding professional roles, and establishing professional identity (Park, 2019). So, to develop future interprofessional working, undergraduate health and social care programmes are well placed to introduce the core concepts of IPE and collaborative practice aligned to health and social care professional statutory and regulatory body (PSRB) requirements that are underpinned by legislation such as the Health and Social Care Act 2012. IPE presents a conduit aligning PSRB requirements with educational strategies, workplace demands, legislation, research, and evidence-based practice, bridging the liminal space between practice and theory, so IPE is needed, but delivery is complex and online conversion challenging.
Ordinarily, effectively embedding IPE into health and social care programmes is a substantial undertaking that presents significant academic challenges. At Northumbria University, IPE has been integrated into curricula for over 20 years and annually IPE activities are organised for over 2500 students across nine professional fields. The IPE Strategy outlines student learning outcomes at different stages of professional development and scenario-based learning is central. Before COVID-19, a blended approach was used with face-to-face interprofessional workshops and online activities. The two IPE leads, Dr Vikki Park and Dr Laura Park, with a team of around 20 colleagues, co-facilitated IPE sessions with practice partners and experts by experience. Before lockdown, medical students from a local university created a tenth professional group participating in first-year workshops.
In March 2020, during the first UK lockdown, IPE activity for 900 students had to be urgently shifted online. The focus for this cohort was to extend professional role knowledge and enhance collaborative interprofessional working and decision-making. Conversion to emergency remote teaching involved the addition of an interactive workbook on the Blackboard e-Learning platform and included tasks, scenario-based learning, internet-based materials, guidelines, evidence, and videos, and students participated in virtual discussion forums in interprofessional groups to discuss and complete activities. This cohort had previously met in person, so the online forum offered further opportunity to share experiences and thoughts about interprofessional working and learning in practice but also enabled much-needed reflection on the pandemic. Staff facilitated discussions in each group, expanding conversations, extending theory, and embedding evidence. Since the start of the pandemic IPE activities have been organised for thousands of students using the virtual IPE methodology.
The pandemic has proved IPE can be virtually delivered to many learners. However, technology use is contentious, presenting barriers for some but widening participation for others, such as those isolating or shielding. There is opportunity to retain the positive learning experiences gained from virtual IPE, but the value of face-to-face IPE cannot be lost. Technology adopted during the pandemic has changed the face of higher education delivery for health and social care professions. In response to the pandemic and new ways of working, subsequent IPE deliveries will have increased virtual facilitation, and ongoing evaluation is essential to ensure IPE is effectively integrated into curricula. It has been challenging to sustain during the pandemic, but future delivery will benefit from progressive pedagogy.