Fostering interprofessional communication through case discussions and simulated ward rounds in nursing and medical education: A pilot project

Background: Poor communication between physicians and nursing staff could result in inadequate interprofessional collaboration with negative effects on patient health. In order to ensure optimal health care for patients, it is important to strengthen interprofessional communication and collaboration between physicians and nurses during their education. Aim: The aim of this project is to foster communication for medical and nursing students through interprofessional case discussions and simulated ward rounds as a form of training. Method: In 2013-15 a total of 39 nursing students and 22 medical students participated in eight seminars, each covering case discussions and simulated ward rounds. The seminar was evaluated based on student assessment of the educational objectives. Results: Students who voluntarily signed up for the seminar profited from the interprofessional interaction and gathered positive experiences working in a team. Conclusion: Through practicing case discussions and ward rounds as a group, interprofessional communication could be fostered between medical and nursing students. Students took advantage of the opportunity to ask those from other profession questions and realized that interprofessional interaction can lead to improved health care

The efficacy of interprofessional simulation in improving collaborative attitude between nursing students and residents in medicine. A study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

Background: Effective collaboration among health professionals is an essential component to ensure quality of care. Many adverse events experienced by patients are attributed to misunderstanding or poor communication among members of the interprofessional team. Interprofessional simulation is a learning strategy used to improve collaboration and facilitate communication between medical and nursing students. Aim of the work: To determine the efficacy of educational program based on high-fidelity interprofessional simulation aimed at improving collaborative attitude. Method: For this purpose, a protocol for a planned single-center, non-blinded and Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) was chosen. The present has been approved by the Ethics Committee of Area Vasta Emilia Nord (Italy) (n° 479/2018). All students attending the second and third year of nursing and all resident physicians in anesthesia, reanimation, intensive care and pain management of University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, will be recruited and randomly assigned to two groups. The Experimental Group (EG) will receive an educational intervention based on high-fidelity simulation and the Control Group (CG) will attend a traditional classroom lesson. Jefferson Scale of Attitudes toward Physician-Nurse Collaboration (JSAPNC) and Readiness for Interprofessional Learning Scale (RIPLS) will be administered before and after the educational program in both the EG and CG. Conclusion: Expected outcomes is that, at the end of the study, nursing students and resident physicians who participated in the interprofessional simulation show significantly higher levels of interprofessional collaboration compared to the CG, evaluated through the JSAPNC

Efficacy of Oral Care Provided by Interprofessional Collaboration for a Patient with Esophageal Cancer Associated with Post-polio Syndrome during Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy

Preoperative oral care is helpful to prevent postoperative complications in patients who are undergoing esophagectomy. Here, we report the case of an 81-year-old Japanese man with an upper limb disability caused by post-polio syndrome who was receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy for esophageal cancer. He had poor oral health status and developed oral complications as a side effect of chemotherapy. He could not brush his teeth by himself. However, infection control by oral care provided by an interprofessional collaboration successfully improved his oral hygiene, and his follow-up involved no severe complications. Interprofessional collaboration is useful especially for patients with upper limb disability

Integrating Research and Quality Improvement Using TeamSTEPPS: A Health Team Communication Project to Improve Hospital Discharge

Purpose/Objectives: The purpose of this article is to describe an innovative approach to the integration of quality improvement and research processes. A project with the objective of improving health team communication about hospital discharge provides an exemplar case. Description of the Project/Program: The TeamSTEPPS 10-step action planning guide provided the structure for planning, developing, and evaluating a redesign of interprofessional health team communication to improve hospital discharge led by 2 clinical nurse specialists. The redesign involved development of processes for team bedside rounding, registered nurse bedside shift reports, and briefing tools to support the rounding processes. Outcome: Using the TeamSTEPPS process, a 4-phase combined quality improvement and research project was designed and implemented. Implementation is ongoing, supported by process evaluation for continuing process improvement. Longitudinal analysis of research outcomes will follow in the future. Conclusions: Led by unit-based clinical nurse specialists, use of an integrated process of quality improvement and research creates evidence-based innovation to solve interprofessional practice problems. Incorporating research within the project design allows for data-based decisions to inform the clinical process improvement, as well as documentation of both the processes and outcomes of the local improvements that can inform replications in other sites

What fosters or prevents interprofessional teamworking in primary and community care? A literature review

Background: The increase in prevalence of long-term conditions in Western societies, with the subsequent need for non-acute quality patient healthcare, has brought the issue of collaboration between health professionals to the fore. Within primary care, it has been suggested that multidisciplinary teamworking is essential to develop an integrated approach to promoting and maintaining the health of the population whilst improving service effectiveness. Although it is becoming widely accepted that no single discipline can provide complete care for patients with a long-term condition, in practice, interprofessional working is not always achieved. Objectives: This review aimed to explore the factors that inhibit or facilitate interprofessional teamworking in primary and community care settings, in order to inform development of multidisciplinary working at the turn of the century. Design: A comprehensive search of the literature was undertaken using a variety of approaches to identify appropriate literature for inclusion in the study. The selected articles used both qualitative and quantitative research methods. Findings: Following a thematic analysis of the literature, two main themes emerged that had an impact on interprofessional teamworking: team structure and team processes. Within these two themes, six categories were identified: team premises; team size and composition; organisational support; team meetings; clear goals and objectives; and audit. The complex nature of interprofessional teamworking in primary care meant that despite teamwork being an efficient and productive way of achieving goals and results, several barriers exist that hinder its potential from becoming fully exploited; implications and recommendations for practice are discussed. Conclusions: These findings can inform development of current best practice, although further research needs to be conducted into multidisciplinary teamworking at both the team and organisation level, to ensure that enhancement and maintenance of teamwork leads to an improved quality of healthcare provision. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Interprofessional collaboration between educational psychologists and speech and language therapists in the UK: facilitators and barriers

In the UK, speech and language therapists (SLTs) and educational psychologists (EPs) are professionals who support children with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN). Legislative and socio-economic changes within the UK and continuing concern about poor outcomes for children with SLCN provided the impetus for a focus on interprofessional collaboration between these two groups. An online survey was distributed to qualified EPs and SLTs in the UK enquiring about facilitators and barriers to collaboration. Responses from 125 EPs and 182 SLTs were content analysed. Responses indicated that communication and working environments were key factors impacting interprofessional collaboration. Relationships and commitment to joint working were also cited as facilitators. Challenges related to reduced resourcing, staffing and changes to working environments as a result of austerity. A framework illustrating possible inter-relationships between factors is presented, indicating hypothesised pathways that could underpin planning for development and change. In summary, despite positive moves towards shared policy and guidance for children with SLCN, findings suggest that a continued focus on maximising effective interprofessional collaboration is crucial to ensure that assessment and early intervention are available to support children with speech, language and communication needs

Pediatric Oncology Nurses’ Perceptions of Prognosis-Related Communication

Background Disclosure of prognosis-related information is an essential aspect of communication with pediatric patients with cancer and their families. The nurse is believed to play an important role in this process, but nurse perceptions and experiences have not been well-described. Purpose Provide an exploration of pediatric oncology nurses’ experiences with prognosis-related communication (PRC). Method Mixed-methods, multiphase design. This paper highlights the qualitative portion of the study. Findings Three themes were identified: Importance of collaboration, impact of PRC, and delivery of prognostic information. Discussion Collaboration is a critical element of PRC. Nurses are often not included in the disclosure process, which limits the ability of nurses to fully function in their roles, compromising patient, family, and nurse outcomes. A paradigm shift is required to empower nurses to be more active participants. More education of physicians and nurses is necessary to consistently engage nurses in PRC and prepare nurses for critical conversations

Interprofessional communication with hospitalist and consultant physicians in general internal medicine : a qualitative study

This study helps to improve our understanding of the collaborative environment in GIM, comparing the communication styles and strategies of hospitalist and consultant physicians, as well as the experiences of providers working with them. The implications of this research are globally important for understanding how to create opportunities for physicians and their colleagues to meaningfully and consistently participate in interprofessional communication which has been shown to improve patient, provider, and organizational outcomes

Developing theoretical rigour in inter professional education

In this chapter, the author explores the meaning of theory and the role it plays in the development of interprofessional education. The chapter explores specifically the utility of the theory of social capital in the field and uses this as a case theory to present the dimensions of theoretical quality that is proposed as essential to the advancement of research, evaluation and curriculum development in this arena