Interprofessional collaborative learning (IPCL) significantly enhances teamwork and care quality. It is increasingly being integrated into nursing education programs at medical universities. This study aimed to investigate the impact of IPCL on enhancing geriatric nursing students' competencies in caring for end-of-life patients. Eighty geriatric nursing students were randomly assigned to a control group (traditional teaching) or an experimental group (Interprofessional Collaborative Learning IPCL with peers from Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine and Applied Psychology). The study integrated Constructivist Learning Theory into Interprofessional Education, involving multidisciplinary specialists providing end-of-life care expertise. Interdisciplinary engagement was promoted through post-class simulations, group discussions, and team exercises. Assessment tools included the Jefferson Scale of Empathy for Health Professionals and the Formmelt Attitudes Toward Care of the Dying Scale, Form B. Following the intervention, significant differences were noted between the two groups in the overall JSE-HP score and its subscales – 'perspective taking' and 'compassionate care,' with a Cohen's d of 0.786. In parallel, for FATCOD-B scores, the IG showed statistically significant improvements over the CG in total scores and in two subscales: 'positive attitudes toward caring for dying individuals' and 'acknowledgment of the need to care for terminally ill patients and their families,' with a Cohen's d of 0.752. These outcomes indicate that the intervention markedly improved empathy and attitudes toward end-of-life care among medical students. In conclusion, IPCL helped students better understand the needs of end-of-life patients and enhanced geriatric nursing students' caregiving competencies, laying a foundation for hospice nursing curriculum reform.
Zhang et al. (Mon,) studied this question.