Preparation for becoming members of health care teams: findings from a 5-year evaluation of a student interprofessional training ward.

SETTING An orthopaedic interprofessional training ward manned by students at a University Hospital. OBJECTIVE To assess to what extent students from different undergraduate programmes evaluated the effects of a 2-week rotation at the ward on their professional roles and the value of teamwork within health care. METHOD A questionnaire was filled in by 841 students by the end of a 2-week rotation at the ward over 5 years. Questions concerned students' estimate of how the rotation had strengthened their insight into their own future professional role, into other students' professional roles and into the value of teamwork within health care. Differences between the different student categories and possible associations between the different estimates were statistically analysed. RESULTS Students from all programmes reported that the rotation at the student ward had dramatically strengthened their insight about their own future professional role as well as the roles of the other professions and the value of teamwork within health care. CONCLUSION Health care is a complicated system based on cooperation and professionalism. We suggest that interprofessional training of students from all professions within health care should be a part of their education as a worthwhile preparation for their future professional work and to ensure high-quality health care.