This article examines the competencies required from intensive care nurses and physicians regarding complex patient care in the intensive care unit. Traditional training methods and structures in critical care are put into context with the contemporary educational requirements. The goals are promotion of the interprofessional cooperation between nurses and physicians as well as a comparison between previous educational methods and their implications on the resulting skills. Clinical competences are defined as the result of basic professional training as well as further education, which can improve the quality of patient care. Options for improving teaching are shown through the presentation of the various learning venues for theory and clinical practice. Contemporary skills labs and simulation trainings are discussed as a useful supplement to traditional approaches such as traditional nursing practice instruction. It will also be discussed how collaborative learning between nurses and physicians at all levels of training can lead to better patient care by increasing the individual and shared competences.
Keywords: Interprofessional education; Interprofessional relations; Professional competence; Quality improvement; Quality of health care.