Interprofessional learning in nursing – a review

Interprofessional learning (IPL) promotes collaboration among healthcare professionals in providing quality healthcare. For the IPL to have a positive influence on inter-professional collaboration, opportunities must be made available for the healthcare students to learn together. Attitudinal factors have been identified as the major factor hindering the implementation of IPL. In Malaysia, little is known about attitudes of healthcare students towards IPL. Students from different health disciplines often have poor conception of each other’s roles as a member of the healthcare team. IPL increases this knowledge and gives students an understanding of the interpersonal skills needed for liaison and communication. Students from different disciplines who learn together develop interpersonal and teamwork skills, and gain knowledge of how other professionals work. IPL has been shown to create teams that work together better and improve patient experience. In general, IPL aims to improve patient safety, enhance patient satisfaction, and increase levels of innovation in patient care, and increase staff motivation, well-being and retention. There has been increasing emphasis on the important role that interprofessional education (IPE) must play in educating and developing present and future healthcare professionals. This review aims to examine how learning outcomes are articulated in the field of IPE and includes the benefits, importance, ethical concepts and application of IPL in nursing.

A study to assess the knowledge on self-blood pressure monitoring (SBPM) among hypertensive patients in selected wards of Hospital Lam Wah Ee, Malaysia

Self-blood pressure monitoring (SBPM) at home creates greater awareness and patient participation in their treatment prevents hypertensive complications and helps facilitate doctors to make decisions on treatment. A study was conducted to assess the knowledge on self-blood pressure monitoring (SBPM) among hypertensive patients in selected wards of Hospital Lam Wah Ee, Malaysia. The results showed only 21 (32.3%) respondents monitored their blood pressure and 44 (67.7%) did not monitor their blood pressure at home. A total of 12 (18.4%) respondents reported that they monitored their blood pressure at home because they were aware of complications of hypertension. From those respondents who did not monitor blood pressure at home, only 13 (29.5%) respondents planned to carry out SBPM at home in the future. The overall knowledge score results for self-blood pressure monitoring showed that 6 (9.2%) subjects scored 8 and above, 42 (64.6%) scored 5-7, and 17 (26.1%) scored less than 4. The findings from the study will help the nurses understand the level of knowledge on SBPM among hypertensive patients, and include training and health education during hospitalisation reinforcing the importance and the technique of performing SBPM at home. It also helps to identify patients with poor control of blood pressure so that they can be referred to the physician for further treatment.