A longitudinal core curriculum to strengthen interprofessional competencies in German undergraduate nursing education: a mixed methods study

Aim Interprofessional education is considered an important strategy for improving interprofessional collaboration in healthcare practice. The aim of the interEdu project was to develop a longitudinal core curriculum to strengthen interprofessional competencies in undergraduate nursing education. Methods The study was conducted using a mixed methods design with qualitative and standardized interviews and evidence syntheses. The results were triangulated via joint displays and were discussed in an expert workshop. The curriculum was designed by the interprofessional project team based on these results. Results The interEdu curriculum comprises nine chapters. The central element is a framework of interprofessional competencies, which forms the basis of competence descriptions that are formulated over three years of nursing education. It has a spiral structure and offers modules and learning units based on the situational principle. In order to facilitate a transfer between the different learning venues, appropriate learning methods are recommended. These are learner-centered to support collaborative learning and self-directed learning. Conclusions The interEdu curriculum will be used to longitudinally integrate interprofessional education into educational programs for nursing and other healthcare professions. In particular, the spiral structure and the interprofessional competencies formulated longitudinally over the whole undergraduate education cycle should contribute to the continuous development of competencies.