Article Emerging themes: an exploratory research project of an interprofessional education module for medical, dental and nursing students Scott Reeves and Anthony Pryce This paper will detail themes emerging from the first stage analysis of a project that was commissioned by the Department of Health. In evaluating the effectiveness of interprofessional teaching and learning opportunities for undergraduate medical, dental and nursing students, the project will also reveal wider institutional problems and opportunities in shared curriculum development. The research focuses on an existing Community Module within the medical and dental curriculum, which has incorporated BSc nursing students. Based on pre-module focus groups, semi- structured interviews and an extract from a reflective project diary, the paper will describe the emerging themes of personal interest to the researchers concerning student perceptions and expectations of their shared learning. This early data suggests that in their first term at college, the students reveal inconsistencies in their stereotypical attitudes towards the 'status' of their intended professions. They also demonstrate attitudes that challenge traditional views. The students also offer similar discrepancies in their views on the value of interprofessional learning. It would be premature to draw any firm conclusions from this preliminary analysis of selected data. However, the analysis provides early evidence of the key cultural, professional and institutional issues central to the planning and implementation of interprofessional curricula. Scott Reeves MSc, BSc (Hons), PGCE(FE), Researcher Anthony Pryce MSc, BA, RGN, PGCE(A),Senior Lecturer, St Bartholomew School of Nursing and Midwifery, City University, West Smithfield, London EC1A7QN, UK (Requests for offprints to SR) Manuscript accepted: 4 September 1997 Background Collaboration between health care professionals is not a new phenomenon. There are now firmly established interprofessional working practices, particularly in mental health and primary health care (Lawrence 1992, Ovretveit 1990, Pritchard & Pritchard 1992). Indeed, the maintenance of health demands such a wide range of expertise that it is highly problematic for any single health profession to deliver care in isolation (Mariano 1989). However, it has been recognized that interprofessional relations can be complex, with problems occurring over professional territorialism, control and status (Mackay 1989, Walby et a11994, Witz 1992). An ambivalence therefore exists in the value and effectiveness of shared working practices. Unsurprisingly an ambivalence can also be found when looking at interprofessional learning initiatives, with the research indicating a range of both positive and negative attributes to this type of learning. Indeed, even the basic terminology describing these activities is inconsistent with a range of terms used e.g. 'inter-disciplinary learning', 'multidisciplinary education', 'joint training' and 'shared teaching'. Such an array of terms can cause confusion and uncertainty for individuals involved in this 'new' and developing form of professional education. 534 Nurse Education Today (1998) 18, 534-541 © 1998 Harcourt Brace & Co. Ltd