Preceptors' Perceptions of Interprofessional Practice, Student Interactions, and Strategies for Interprofessional Education in Clinical Settings.

PURPOSE: This study describes clinical preceptors' perceptions of interprofessional practice, the nature and variety of physician assistant (PA) students' interprofessional interactions during clinical training, and factors that facilitate or hinder interprofessional education (IPE) in clinical settings.

METHODS: This qualitative study involved interviews with preceptors that were audio-recorded, transcribed, and then analyzed through an iterative process to identify key conceptual themes.

RESULTS: Fourteen preceptors from a variety of clinical settings participated. Four themes were identified: (1) preceptors define interprofessional practice differently; (2) students learn about teams by being a part of teams; (3) preceptors separate students to avoid diluting learning experiences; and (4) preceptors can facilitate IPE by introducing students to members of the team and role modeling team skills.

CONCLUSIONS: The themes may inform PA educators' efforts to increase IPE in clinical settings through educational interventions with both preceptors and students.