Assessing Collaboration, Communication, and Role Recognition in an Interprofessional Education Event in the ICU and Acute Care Environments
Purpose: This platform aims to demonstrate the benefit of an interprofessional education (IPE) experience between second year Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students and first year Bachelor of Nursing Science (BSN) students in enhancing communication and collaboration, decreasing anxiety, and increasing the understanding of professional roles in the intensive and acute care environments. Current literature in the field of IPE involving physical therapy and nursing professions working in a collaborative manner is limited1,2. The available literature consists of scenarios in which one profession instructs the other profession, rather than both disciplines working together to achieve a common outcome3,4. Research also suggests that DPT and BSN students describe having fear or anxiety when working in these settings, impacting their ability to communicate efficiently and potentially effecting patient outcomes and safety5,6,7. IPE may provide a means to decrease student anxiety, enhance learning, promote communication and increase student understanding of professional roles8,9,10.Methods/Description: During a pilot IPE experience, 12 DPT students volunteered to assess the quality and importance of an acute care/ICU IPE event with the BSN program. Students participated in three scenarios: an acute patient care scenario, a cardiopulmonary arrest scenario, and a discussion of lines and tubes in the acute/ICU setting. DPT and BSN students collaborated in all scenarios. Due to the pilot nature of the project, only DPT students completed questionnaires regarding the experience. Pre-experience questions focused on level of experience, fears, and expectations of the experience. Post-observation questions focused on whether the student’s fear changed, if they would recommend this experience to peers, and what would increase the benefit of the IPE.Results/Outcomes: Pre-experience results revealed that fears were related to the acuity of the clientele, making mistakes that would harm a patient, and navigating the equipment, lines and tubes which present difficulty in caring for clientele. Students hoped to improve understanding of ICU equipment and confidence in mobilizing patients. Post-experience, all students felt less fearful about the environment. All recommended continuing the IPE for collaboration and understanding of roles with BSN students, while improving confidence and communication.Conclusions/Relevance to the conference theme: Our Leadership Landscape: Perspectives from the Ground Level to 30,000 Feet: The platform addresses two conference themes. First, it addresses leading through innovation and simulation. The simulation decreased anxiety in these environments and led to improved communication between disciplines. The platform addresses the theme of blending leadership through IPE. Most current studies looking at IPE in these environments has one discipline teaching the other. Our platform will present our IPE, in which disciplines worked collaboratively to reduce anxiety, improve communication and role recognition, and improve the ability to succeed as an entry-level practitioner in these environments.References: 1) McCrorie P et al. Perceptions of nursing and physical therapy students toward peer-led interprofessional education in manual handling. Nurse Educ. 2017; 42(1): E1-E6. 2) Von Der Lancken S and Levenhagen K. Interprofessional teaching project with nursing and physical therapy students to promote caregiver and patient safety. J Nurs Educ. 2014; 53(12):704-709. 3) Rossler KL and Kimble LP. Capturing readiness to learn and collaboration as explored with an interprofessional simulation scenario: A mixed-methods research study. Nurse Educ Today. 2016; 36: 348-353. 4) Wellmon R et al. Changing student attitudes toward interprofessional learning and collaboration: Evidence for the effectiveness of partnering with healthcare mentors in the academic setting. J Allied Health. 2017; 46(4): 205-212. 5) Lau B et al. Experiences of physical therapists working in the acute hospital setting: Systematic review. Phys Ther J. 2016; 96(9): 1317-1332. 6) Hayward LM et al. Student perceptions and understanding of client-therapist interactions within the inpatient acute care environment: Qualitative study. Phys Ther J. 2015; 95(2): 235-248. 7) Williams E and Palmer C. Student nurses in critical care: Benefits and challenges of critical care as a learning environment for student nurses. Nurs Crit Care. 2013; 19(6): 310-315. 8) Ohtake PJ et al. Simulation experience enhances physical therapist student confidence in managing a patient in the critical care environment. Phys Ther J. 2013; 93(2): 216-228. 9) Pinto A et al. The impact of structured inter-professional education on health care professional students’ perceptions of collaboration in a clinical setting. Physiother Can. 2012; 64(2): 145-156. 10) Costello M et al. Simulation as an effective strategy for interprofessional education. Clin Simul Nurs. 2017; 13(12): 624-627.