New interprofessional health sciences precepting legislation provides opportunity to assess student and preceptor knowledge, experience, and confidence

Recent passage of a bill in Washington State permits licensed health professionals to serve as interprofessional preceptors for students in volunteer service settings where the knowledge and skills being utilized fall under the scope of practice of both the preceptors and students involved. Passage of the bill was made possible through strong advocacy efforts among an interprofessional team of students. The new law allows for increased interprofessional service-learning opportunities for both students and preceptors. The COVID-19 pandemic brought abrupt changes to in-person service learning for health sciences students. Yet, when an urgent need to provide COVID-19 testing arose, the new law made it possible for volunteer preceptors (n = 7) from medicine and nursing to supervise pharmacy students (n = 12) who provided COVID-19 testing at a mobile community clinic. Following the multi-day testing event, preceptors and students completed an electronic survey, documenting positive changes in interprofessional knowledge, skills, experience, and attitudes.