Interprofessional Collaboration (IPC) Confidence Assessment of Doctor of Physical Therapist Students and Doctor of Nursing Practice Students Following an Interprofessional Phone Call Experience
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to assess student Physical Therapist and Nursing Practice student confidence in interprofessional communication.
Methods/Description
Subjects consisted of 59 Doctor of Physical Therapist (DPT) Students and 23 Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Students at the University of Michigan-Flint.
Students completed an electronic Qualtrics survey on interprofessional communication and the Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation (SBAR) method.1 Additional training on the SBAR tool was then completed. The students were presented with a patient case with details specific to their profession involving a post-surgical total knee arthroplasty patient presenting for their first out-patient physical therapy visit experiencing hypertension despite taking their hypertension medications. The Doctor of Physical Therapist Student completed a simulated phone call which was recorded using Blackboard collaborate to the Doctor of Nursing Practice Student to report the findings using the SBAR tool and develop a treatment plan. Students completed a second electronic Qualtrics survey on interprofessional communication and the SBAR post phone call along with responded to 2 reflective questions about the experience.
Data is being analyzed focusing on student interprofessional communication confidence pre versus post phone call experience.
Results/Outcomes
Data analysis currently in progress for comparative analysis of pre/post tests to determine if the phone call experience improved confidence in communication using Qualtrics, paired T test, and SPSS.
Preliminary results include the following themes:
DNP Reflections:
-Importance of teamwork collaboration
- Identified need for, interest in, or a new understanding of other healch care providers roles
- New experience to be on the receiving end of pt. related concerns
DPT Reflections:
- Importance of teamwork collaboration
- Importance of critical thinking
- Importance of clear and concise communication
- Improved confidence in communication
Conclusions/Relevance to the conference theme: Through the Looking Glass: Transforming Physical Therapy Education
WHO has developed a Framework for Action on Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice where they identified that “interprofessional education is a necessary step in preparing a collaborative practice ready health workforce.”2 There are 4 identified core competencies in IPC including interprofessional communication.3 Nursing Practice students and Physical Therapist students need to develop the skills for IPC particularly in the area of interprofessional communication.The SBAR (Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation) tool has been developed to promote effective interprofessional communication in healthcare professionals across settings.4,5
The interprofessional phone call experience between student Physical Therapists and Nursing Practice students using the SBAR preliminary results reveal improved student confidence in interprofessional communication along with confidence in utilizing the SBAR communciation method.
References
1 Wang, W, Liang Z, Blazeck A, Greene B. Improving Chinese Nursing Students’ Communication Skills By Utilizing Video-Stimulated Recall and Role-Play Case Scenarios to Introduce them to the SBAR Technique. Nurse Education Today. Vol 35:7. July 2015.
2 Health Professions Networks Nursing & Midwifery Human Resources for Health World Health Organization. Framework for Action on Interprofessional Education and Collaborative Practice. Accessed January 27, 2017. Available at: http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/70185/1/WHO_HRH_HPN_10.3_eng.pdf?ua=1.
3 Interprofessional Education Collaborative Expert Panel. Core competencies for interprofessional collaborative practice: Report of an expert panel. Washington DC. 2011: Interprofresional Education Collaborative. Accessed January 27, 2017 at http://www.aacn.nche.edu/education-resources/ipecreport.pdf.
4 Velji K, Baker R, Fancott C, et al. Effectiveness of an adapted SBAR tool in the Rehabilitation Setting. Healthcare Quarterly. Vol 11. Special Issue 2008.
5 Beckett, C. D. and Kipnis, G. (2009), Collaborative Communication: Integrating SBAR to Improve Quality/Patient Safety Outcomes. Journal for Healthcare Quality. 31: 19–28. doi:10.1111/j.1945-1474.2009.00043.x